Endemic Incidence of Infections Caused by Mycobacterium kansasii in the Karviná District in 1968–1998

Overview

The objective of the submitted work was to present a summary of basic epidemiological data ina group of 1034 subjects from whom during the period between 1968–1999 Mycobacterium kansasiiwas isolated.In the analysis of the group principles of the descriptive epidemiological method were used. In thefirst years, when diseases were recorded and the number of cases increased, epidemiologists of theDistrict Hygiene Station in Karviná made an investigation. The objective was to describe the clinicalaspect and based on epidemiological investigations to analyze data and to find an answer to basiclinks of the spread of infection, i.e. source, route of transmission to susceptible subjects and basedon the assembled findings, to suggest the necessary epidemiological provisions. Interhuman transmission was not proved in any of the patients. The causal agent of the infection is most probablytransmitted through water (by the aerogenic route). The Karviná district belongs to the largestinvestigated endemic areas in the world.

Key words:
endemic incidence of M. kansasii – route of transmission – susceptible subjects – classicalpulmonary TB – mycobacteriosis (M. kansasii) of lungs.