Manitoba has the highest provincial incident rate of active tuberculosis (TB) in Canada, and stopping its spread depends on, among other things, the availability of high-quality, comprehensive data to ensure early and complete treatment, according to a new study by the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy (MCHP) at the University of Manitoba.

TB is a communicable disease that is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. It is caused by bacteria that settle in the lungs and can be spread through the air when a person with an active infection coughs or sneezes.

A latent TB infection (LTBI), or inactive infection, is also a concern, as individuals with LTBI are more likely to progress to an active infection if they do not receive and complete treatment.