Tuberculosis declining throughout Europe

Decline in tuberculosis in Europe

03/19/2015

The prevalence of the infectious disease tuberculosis (TB) has declined throughout Europe in 2013, according to the recent communication from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO European Regional Office. The decline is due in particular to the reduction of infections in severely affected countries such as Romania. However, countries with low infection rates, such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden, actually had an increase in reporting rates.

„In 2013, 64,844 tuberculosis cases were reported from 30 Member States of the European Union and the European Economic Area“, so the ECDC message. The reporting rate of 12.7 tuberculosis cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2013 represents a decrease of six percent compared to the previous year (around 68,000 tuberculosis cases were reported in 2012). Although this decline is quite pleasing, according to the experts, the current pace of suppression of tuberculosis infections is not enough to eliminate the infectious disease across Europe by the end of the century.

Tailored interventions required
The downward trend in tuberculosis infections is mainly due to a significant decline in TB in high-incidence countries, according to the ECDC. For example, Romania, which accounts for 26% of tuberculosis cases, has seen a significant decrease in infections. Low-incidence countries such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden, however, showed a slight increase in infections. „Our data shows that Europe needs tailor-made interventions that target national attitudes“, ECDC Director Marc Sprenger reports on World TB Day on March 24.

Four percent of infections due to multidrug-resistant pathogens
Despite historically low numbers of infections and a significant decline in the past decade, not all European countries have benefited equally from progress, according to the ECDC Communication. For example, in countries with low infection rates, infections of foreign patients are increasing, which prevents a further reduction in the number of infections. In countries with high incidence, more relapses and recurrent infections are found. In addition, infections with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis pathogens (MDR-TB) would increase, reports the ECDC. Overall, in 2013, four percent of cases were due to multidrug-resistant pathogens, with treatment prospects in the case of MDR-TB infection not improving in the last decade and still very poor.

Around 4,300 tuberculosis infections in Germany
According to official figures, approximately 4,300 people in Germany contracted tuberculosis in 2013, 146 died as a result of the infection, according to the news agency „dpa“. In order to achieve the goal of eliminating TB infections by, for example, the year 2050, we would have to reduce the cases at least twice as fast“, warns Sprenger. Infections in the WHO European Region, which includes countries such as Russia, Turkmenistan and Armenia, continue to be alarmingly high, the report said „dpa“. Every day, around 1,000 people would become infected with tuberculosis. The spread of the multidrug-resistant tuberculosis form MDR-TB causes particular concern for the experts. „MDR-TB is still raging in the European Region making it the most affected area in the world“, WHO Regional Director for Europe, Zsuzsanna Jakab, of the „dpa“ cited. (Fp)