The International Consensus for Early TB framework (ICE-TB): Implications from a low-incidence setting.

<sec><title>BACKGROUND</title>In recent years, there has been increasing recognition of the public health significance of the spectrum of TB disease presentation, and the existing classification systems of asymptomatic infection and symptomatic TB have been limited in terms of explanatory power. Accordingly, in 2022-2023, a new International Consensus framework for Early TB (ICE-TB) was developed, categorising the spectrum of TB infection and disease into five states based on the presence or absence of macroscopic pathology, host infectiousness, and symptoms and signs.</sec><sec><title>METHODS</title>We used the ICE-TB framework to re-analyse existing notification data for 2022 within a low-incidence setting to explore the potential utility and future challenges for its public health application.</sec><sec><title>RESULTS</title>Existing notification data were sufficient to allow substantial reclassification of currently recognised active disease states, but did not systematically capture Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection or subclinical TB. Fifty percent of existing TB notifications would be classified as 'Clinical, infectious', with the potential need to consider further subclassification.</sec><sec><title>CONCLUSION</title>Our exploration highlighted limitations in existing classification systems and diagnostic approaches and should encourage researchers and programmatic implementers to emphasise person-centred and programmatic needs in the development of new tools for TB management.</sec>.