Active tuberculosis (TB) is a notifiable disease in Australia. All diagnoses of active TB must be reported to the Department of Health in the state or territory where the diagnosis happened.
Symptoms of tuberculosis
Symptoms of active TB include:
- Chronic cough
- Fever
- Chills
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
Reporting cases of active TB
The notification of active TB is made by the doctor requesting the test or the laboratory that completed the test.
After a notification, people diagnosed with active TB and living in Victoria will be assigned a clinical nurse consultant from the VTP. The VTP clinical nurse consultants work with people affected by TB to ensure that TB care and treatment are accessible and appropriate. If you move to, or away from Victoria, the local TB program will make a referral to ensure ongoing care.
Learn more about our services for people affected by TB.
Active TB is treated in specialist clinics – usually at major hospitals – by respiratory, infectious diseases, or other specialty doctors in Australia. Treatment for TB disease typically takes 6 months but can take longer. There are lots of factors that can affect how long someone takes treatment. Treatment is designed to meet the needs of the person affected by TB and to cure TB.
Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis
Sometimes the Mycobacterium tuberculosis is drug resistant. This means that the bacteria do not respond to the medications normally used to treat TB.
Drug resistance can move with the bacteria from person to person or develop if treatment is insufficient. Specialty anti-TB medications are needed, usually for longer periods of time.