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RVCT of 2023 TB Cases via 2020 RVCT

December 16, 2022

Dear Colleagues,

We hope that this message finds you well. We are writing to remind all TB programs of the December 31, 2022 deadline to implement the 2020 Report of a Verified Case of Tuberculosis (RVCT), also known as RVCT version 3, for surveillance reporting of TB cases.

As you know, the 2020 RVCT implementation deadline was previously extended from December 31, 2020, to December 31, 2022, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. DTBE is not extending the deadline again because all TB programs now have the option to report cases in 2020 RVCT format using the National TB Surveillance System (NTSS) Case Report (NTSS-CR) web application. Accordingly, all TB cases counted in 2023 must be reported to CDC using the 2020 RVCT format via either HL-7 message, National Electronic Disease Surveillance System Base System (NBS), or NTSS CR. NBS is anticipated to be fully functional for reporting TB cases in 2020 RVCT format in early 2023.

TB case notifications not in 2020 RVCT format (i.e., in 2009 RVCT [version 2] format) will not be accepted for any cases with count dates of January 1, 2023 (MMWR week 1) or later. Any 2023 cases not submitted to DTBE using the 2020 RVCT format will therefore not be included in:

  • Case counts used in the TB Elimination and Laboratory Cooperative Agreement (CDC-RFA-PS20-2001) funding formula
  • National TB Indicators Project (NTIP)
  • TB Genotyping Information Management System (TB GIMS)
  • Anything else that is dependent on TB case surveillance data from the NTSS data warehouse

Jurisdictions that have not completed onboarding the 2020 RVCT and do not expect to complete the process by March 31, 2023 should report cases to CDC through the NTSS-CR platform. If your jurisdiction needs to gain access to NTSS-CR or needs an orientation or training, please work with surveillance staff in your jurisdiction to submit a ticket for assistance to the DTBE Technical Support Helpdesk in Service Now (https://servicedesk.cdc.gov/).

If you have questions about implementation of the 2020 RVCT or NTSS-CR, please submit a ticket in Service Now or contact Dr. Julie Self at yxj9@cdc.gov.

For questions about the programmatic or cooperative agreement-related implications of not submitting 2023 case notifications in 2020 RVCT format, please contact your DTBE Field Services Branch project officer.

 

Sincerely,
Adam J. Langer, DVM, MPH, DACVPM
Chief, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Outbreak Investigations Branch
Division of Tuberculosis Elimination

Terence Chorba, MD, DSc, FACP, FIDSA
Chief, Field Services Branch
Division of Tuberculosis Elimination