CureTB Program

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At a glance

  • The goal of the CureTB program is to prevent the spread of tuberculosis (TB) among people who travel between the United States and other countries.
  • CureTB collaborates with health authorities in the United States and around the world.
CureTB graphic of world map shaped as lungs held in hands

About CureTB

To reduce the spread of TB and the emergence of drug-resistant TB, CureTB connects people with TB to healthcare services as they move between the United States and other countries.

Health departments, healthcare providers, and others can request CureTB assistance in referring patients for ongoing TB care abroad. CureTB can also help health officials and providers locate TB treatment health records in different countries for their patients.

Did you know?

From 2016–2023, CureTB made referrals for 1,741 patients with TB disease who moved to or out of the United States, and 79% completed treatment at their destination.

Services

TB treatment referral

  • CureTB refers patients with TB disease (confirmed or probable) to the public health system in their destination country.
  • CureTB counsels patients and confirms their contact information, sends relevant clinical and locating information to destination authorities, and continues follow up with the receiving country for results of treatment.

Requesting a referral

To request a referral of a patient for TB treatment in their destination country (including patients relocating from another country to the United States), complete the CureTB Transnational Notification form.
CureTB Transnational Notification Form

Clinical history request

  • CureTB can request information about a patient's TB treatment history from national TB programs outside of the United States, or from U.S. states for patients who have left the United States.

Request a clinical history

To request a clinical history, complete the CureTB Transnational Notification form.
CureTB Transnational Notification Form

Contact notification

  • CureTB notifies public health authorities in other countries about patients diagnosed with TB in the United States who have contacts in their respective countries.
  • CureTB refers contacts to public health authorities in other countries if contacts relocate to another country after being identified in the United States, especially if they are under 5 years old or are immunocompromised.

Request contact notifications

To request contact notifications, complete the CureTB Contact/Source Investigation Notification form.
CureTB Contact/Source Investigation Notification form

How CureTB links patients to TB care abroad

CureTB connects people leaving the United States to TB care in other countries in five steps.

The CureTB Referral Process

  • Step 1
    A healthcare professional or health department requests referral of a patient with confirmed or probable TB disease before the patient leaves the United States.
  • Step 2
    CureTB interviews the patient to confirm their contact information and provides counseling on the importance of treatment completion.
  • Step 3
    CureTB refers the patient to the receiving health authority.
  • Step 4
    CureTB follows up with the receiving authority to determine final treatment outcome.
  • Step 5
    CureTB shares the final treatment outcome with the requesting agency.

Request a referral

How to submit a request for CureTB referralA

  1. To request a CureTB referral for a patient, download the appropriate form for your request:
    1. Transnational Notification
    2. Contact/Source Investigation Notification
  2. Complete the form and attach reports for sputum smears, molecular tests, cultures, drug susceptibility, and pertinent radiology/pathology examinations as available.
  3. Send the form and attachments to CureTB by encrypted email. If you MUST send by fax, contact CureTB by phone first.
  4. If you do not receive a confirmation email from CureTB in 1 business day, please call.

Notes:

  • CureTB does not usually offer treatment referrals if a patient requires fewer than 30 days to complete treatment after leaving the United States. Rather, CureTB encourages referring jurisdictions to provide the treatment patients to take with them, and follows up with patients after departure to confirm treatment completion.
  • Cultures and drug susceptibility tests are not routinely performed in all countries and may not be available.

Tips for health departments and providers requesting CureTB referrals

Make your referral request early. Give CureTB enough time for a referral manager speak to your patient before they leave the United States. Early referrals help CureTB establish rapport and get accurate locating information abroad. This enables a timely referral and prevents loss to follow-up.

Provide complete information. Attach laboratory, clinical, and treatment information to your form. This will help CureTB provide the receiving authority with complete information about the patient. Provide updates if important clinical information is pending at the time of request (e.g., drug susceptibility testing results).

Identify reliable secondary contacts. Ask your patient to provide contact information (e.g., phone, address, email) for at least two people who will always know where they can be found. CureTB will also review this information with your patient(s).

Contact information

Email: CureTB@cdc.gov

Phone: (619) 542-4013

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Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)
  1. CureTB is changing the referral request process. This webpage will be updated with the new information when available.