National tuberculosis advisory committee 2012 committee report.

The National Tuberculosis Advisory Committee (NTAC) was established in 1999 as a subcommittee of Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA). The terms of reference of NTAC are: • to provide strategic, expert advice to CDNA on a coordinated national and international approach to Tuberculosis (TB) control; and • to develop and review nationally agreed strategic and implementation plans for the control of TB in Australia. NTAC membership is comprised of the following: • representation from those responsible for the TB programs in their respective jurisdictions, namely nurse managers with TB expertise, public health physicians, clinicians practising in TB clinics, tho-racic physicians, and infectious disease physicians • a representative from the Commonwealth Department of Health (DoH) • a representative from the Public Health Laboratory Network (PHLN) • an human immunodeficiency virus-tuberculosis (HIV-TB) specialist nominated by the Australasian Society for Infectious Disease (ASID) • a paediatric specialist nominated by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Paediatrics & Child Health Division; and • a representative from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). The Tuberculosis Data Quality Working Group (TBDQWG) is a working group of NTAC, with representation from jurisdictions, DoHA and the Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory Network. The TBDQWG ensures that high quality data informs routine and timely reports on trends and emerging issues in TB. NTAC expanded its membership in 2012 to include a representative from DIAC. The high burden of TB in the overseas-born population of Australia demonstrates that TB control in Australia is largely dependent on our pre-and post-migration activities in relation to new arrivals. NTAC publishes information to assist the TB community. In 2012 NTAC published a number of documents and progressed work towards finalising others. NTAC published the Position statement on interferon-ү release assays in the detection of latent tuberculosis infection (IGRA position statement). This is a general guide to the appropriate practice to be followed in the detection of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). 1 The statement recommends that the tuberculin skin test (TST) remains the preferred test for LTBI in most patient groups. NTAC recommends that IGRAs may be used as supplemental tests to improve specificity in screening immunocompetent subjects and in addition to TST in immunocompromised patients considered at high risk of LTBI. The specific recommendations in various patient groups are listed in the document. 3 This document articulates challenges, priorities and actions for the control of TB in Australia in the coming years. The Strategic Plan …