Tuberculosis skin tests will be scarce - infections increase

Tuberculosis cases in Germany have risen for the first time in years - rapid test is in short supply
For the first time in years, the number of tuberculosis cases in Germany has risen again. In addition, according to a media report, rapid tests for the contagious infectious disease are scarce. Health experts are still warning about panic.
Only in Germany approved skin test
After reports of a shortage of supply for many important vaccines in Germany last autumn, tuberculosis tests are apparently becoming scarce. According to a media report, just the only skin test approved in Germany against the infectious disease is currently affected by delivery problems. As the "world" reports online, the bottleneck specifically concerns the so-called tuberculin, a preparation of killed tuberculosis bacteria, with the standard skin tests are carried out on the contagious infectious disease.

The number of tuberculosis cases has increased recently. Image: Miriam Dörr - fotolia

Delivery bottlenecks in tuberculosis test
The manufacturer of the preparation, the Danish "Statens Serum Institut" (SSI) said on demand of the "world": "We expect that we can supply Germany in spring again." Other countries in Europe are currently affected by the bottleneck. According to doctors, there have been repeated bottlenecks in the tuberculosis skin test in recent months. "The production of such a preparation is very complex and difficult to control. This can lead to bottlenecks again and again ", explained the infection expert Karl Schenkel of the German Central Committee for Combating Tuberculosis (DZK) according to the newspaper report.

Significant increase in new cases
After years of declining numbers, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported a significant increase in new cases of tuberculosis at the end of last year. And the World Health Organization (WHO) recently criticized the fact that there are still far too many TB victims worldwide. According to the report of the "world", it is quite conceivable that the already tight supply situation has aggravated by the Europe-wide overall greater demand for the test in the wake of the so-called refugee crisis. But there is no reason to panic. "Tuberculosis is far less contagious than the flu. In addition, there are other ways to test for suspected tuberculosis, "said Schenkel.

Traditional skin testing has been around for 100 years
According to the DZK, there are various alternatives to bridge the bottleneck: for example, blood tests or a skin test from abroad, which is not allowed in Germany. According to the Paul Ehrlich Institute, there is no corresponding application for approval so far, so this test can only be used on the own responsibility of the attending physician. In turn, the blood tests available in Germany are significantly more expensive than the traditional skin test, which has been around for around 100 years. Another rapid test of tuberculosis should reliably detect in two hours, according to experts, although easy to handle, but very costly. (Ad)