[Tuberculosis in Poland in 2003]

In 2003 year decrease of tuberculosis notification rates in Poland has continued. In this year 10 125 tuberculosis cases (TB) were notified in Poland--incidence rate--26.5 per 100 000 population, with the large differences in notification rates between voivodeships (from 16.9 to 39.8/100 000). Between 1994-2003 notification rates decreased by 3.9% yearly overall. 87.8% of the TB cases notified were new cases. Pulmonary cases represented 90.9% of TB cases. Male to female sex ratio--2.1. Age specific rates were much lower in children--1.5/100 000 (100 cases)--1% of all TB cases and highest in person over 65 years--57.6/100 000 (27.9% all TB cases). Sixty percent of all pulmonary cases were confirmed by culture and 38% were sputum smear positive. Among all the pulmonary TB cases treated there were 292 cases with resistance to at least one drug. They represented 3.4% of bacteriologically positive pulmonary cases treated and from many years remains relatively low. There 892 death due tuberculosis reported in 2002 y.i.e. 2.3/100 000. Mortality among males--3.7 and 1.1/100 000 among females. Since many years the TB mortality is of the order 0.2% of total mortality and almost 40% mortality from infectious diseases. In 2003 year--93.5% new born babies were vaccinated BCG; 82% of all TB pulmonary cases were detect by symptoms and 4% by contact examination. Success rates (cured or completed) of treatment were reported in 83.3%; failed 1.0%; deaths during treatment were reported in 6.2% (2.4% from TB) treatment default in 7.8% treated cases.