Tuberculosis Information for Physicians

How Halton Region Health Department Supports Physician Offices

The Halton Region Health Department operates a Tuberculosis Program, which includes:

• management of confirmed and suspect cases of tuberculosis including pulmonary and extrapulmonary cases
• provision of and monitoring compliance with anti-tuberculosis medication regimes, including direct observation of medications being taken by people with active tuberculosis
• tracing of contacts from active cases of tuberculosis, including household, workplace and other locations such as schools
• management of Latent Tuberculosis Infection reports, including client education and the provision of publicly funded anti-tuberculosis medication for Latent Tuberculosis Infection
• Immigration Medical Surveillance
• providing consultation and information through the communicable disease intake line, 905-825-6000 ext. 7825
• providing education to clients and their families, to the public and other health care providers/ facilities such as Long Term Care homes, retirement homes, and correctional facilities

Physician Requirements

• According to the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7, Physicians or practitioners as defined in subsection 25 (2), hospital administrators and superintendents of institutions, school principals, pharmacists and operators of a laboratory are required to report all positive TSTs, suspected and active tuberculosis (TB) cases to the Halton Region Health Department. This includes persons who have an abnormal chest x- ray and/or symptoms of TB.
• Please note that a referral to a specialist or pending sputum results should not delay the reporting of a positive TST.
• Learn more on the new Health Protection and Promotion Act's duty to report disease (external link).