Abstract: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading infectious disease of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The clinical manifestations spectrum of TB, which driven by the interaction between Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and immunological status of the host, range from the mildest asymptomatic condition to the most serious disseminated stage. It is well established that most infected immunocompetent individuals are asymptomatic status, with only 5%～10% of these individuals will eventually develope to active TB during their lifetime. Because of asymptomatic or imperceptibly mild symptoms, the diagnosis and treatment of these patients with asymptomatic tuberculosis (aTB) are often delayed. Furthermore, the clinical and public health significance of aTB has not been given sufficient attention. For the above reasons, the World Health Organization (WHO) released the Report of WHO Consultation on Asymptomatic Tuberculosis on February 28th, 2025. This report includes the natural history of TB, the definition of aTB its clinical and public health significance of aTB, and its clinical and public health significance, and the rationale for a revised definition of aTB. Additionally, it outlines the priority research directions and critical knowledge gaps. This paper aims to highlight the key findings of the WHO consultation on asymptomatic tuberculosis, while also calling for greater awareness of the potential impact of aTB on clinical diagnosis and treatment as well as public health work, which will promote the solutions to related issues and advance progress toward WHO's goal of End-TB.

Key words: Asymptomatic tuberculosis, Asymptomatic latent infection of tuberculosis, World Health Organization, Clinically diagnosed TB, Interpretation