| Children |
| Confirmed or highly probable TB# |
| Microbiologically confirmed TB: |
| Clinical specimens positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis on solid culture or acid-fast bacilli on microscopy |
| or |
| Highly probable TB: |
| Chest radiograph highly suggestive of active tuberculosis and good clinical response |
| or |
| Good clinical response and one of following: |
| Cervical lymphadenopathy with sinus formation |
| Abdominal mass or ascites |
| Spinal gibbus |
| Clinical picture of meningitis associated with CSF changes consistent with TB meningitis |
| Possible TB |
| Children who did not have confirmed or highly probable TB, but in whom active TB could not be excluded. Includes both children who were and were not put on anti-TB treatment |
| Not TB |
| One of following: |
| Spontaneous symptom resolution defined as well-being without TB treatment |
| Alternative diagnosis confirmed |
| Adults |
| Confirmed TB |
| Microbiologically confirmed TB by either positive culture or fluorescence microscopy |
Tuberculosis (TB) classifications in accordance with previous paediatric active TB studies (Liebeschuetz et al. [14], Marais et al. [15], Bamford et al. [16]) and in line with a recent expert panel consensus of clinical case definitions for research in children with suspected active TB [14]. #: confirmed or highly probable TB; for data analysis the combined group of microbiologically confirmed TB and highly probable TB was combined into one group ”Confirmed or highly probable TB”.