Tuberculosis in the Czech Republic During 2006

Overview

Background.
In the Czech Republic the number of all notified tuberculosis cases decreased in the year 2006. 973 (9.5/100 000) all tuberculosis cases of new diseases and relapses were reported. 799 cases (7.8/100 000) were pulmonary tuberculosis and from them 556 cases (5.5/100 000) were definite pulmonary tuberculosis. In 2006 267 cases of smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis were detected. The decrease in tuberculosis notification rate reported in the Czech Republic since 1998 has continued. 

Methods and Results.
The resistance for antituberculotic drugs was 7.4% and MDR-TB cases were detected in 1.4% of all bacteriologically confirmed cases. The low level of resistance, good treatment constitutes presumption of further decline in tuberculosis in the Czech Republic. 

Conclusions.
The majority of tuberculosis cases were diagnosed because of symptoms (74.7%)-passive case-finding. By active case-finding only 11.7% of new pulmonary tuberculosis were detected. In Prague only 6.7% of all pulmonary tuberculosis cases were diagnosed by active case-finding. Next target of tuberculosis control in the Czech Republic will be to increase the percentage of active case-finding in high-risk groups and to monitor latent tuberculosis infection in our population. 

Key words:
tuberculosis, epidemiology, mycobacteria, treatment, resistence.