What a provisional TB count can show

CDC’s March 2026 release reported 10,260 provisional U.S. tuberculosis cases in 2025, with a rate of 3.0 per 100,000 people. It described a slight decline from 2024 while cases remained above pre-pandemic levels. These were preliminary reported cases; CDC warned they could change when final numbers were published. ^[1]

The reporting architecture explains that boundary. TB disease has been nationally notifiable since 1951, and CDC receives case reports electronically. Reporting latent TB infection to CDC is optional, with some jurisdictions setting their own requirements. The national disease series therefore cannot be read as an inventory of all people carrying the bacterium. ^[2]

Latent infection and contagious disease are different states. CDC explains that inactive TB does not spread to others, while active disease in the lungs or throat can release bacteria into the air. Some people develop disease soon after infection; others do so years later. A diagnosis year alone does not locate the time or place of infection. ^[3]

The early release serves a different timetable from the annual surveillance report. CDC’s provisional-data explanation describes submissions from the states and Washington, D.C., with Census population estimates used for rates. It warns that counts and rates may change during finalisation. This retrospective preserves the preliminary figures, without verifying final 2025 totals. ^[4]

About this item: Retrospective report. No first-hand reporting or independent testing is claimed. Corrections policy.