An assessment of nucleic acid amplification testing for active mycobacterial infection

Other relevant considerations

TB in the Australian Indigenous population

High incidence of TB among Indigenous Australians

Although rates of TB in Australia are low, the absolute numbers of TB cases increased by 33% between 1998 and 2008, and specific subgroups such as indigenous Australians and immigrants have much higher rates than other Australians. The Tuberculosis notifications in Australia, 2010 Annual Report¹⁶ found that the incidence of TB in the Australian-born Indigenous population was 11 times higher than in the Australian-born non-Indigenous population (7.5 versus 0.7 per 100,000 people).

The Strategic Plan for Control of Tuberculosis in Australia: 2011–2015¹⁷ reported that rates of TB infection increase with age and transmission of TB to infants and children still occurs. Indigenous Australians also have higher rates of hospitalisation and mortality from TB than non-Indigenous Australians. Testing has shown that clustering of cases in households, and remote and town-camp communities occurs.