[The current status of tuberculosis in Germany and impact of the global situation]

Tuberculosis (TB), like HIV/AIDS and malaria, belongs to the most frequent infectious diseases worldwide. About one-third of the world's population is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis), and 5-10 % of those infected develop tuberculosis in the course of their lives. It is estimated that there were approx. 8.9 million new infections worldwide in 2004, representing an incidence of approx. 140/100,000. 3.9 million cases (62/100,000) were classified as smear positive. It is assumed that one smear-positive patient infects about 10-15 other people in the course of one year, and the infection risk is particularly high in HIV-positive persons. For Germany as a low-incidence country, the impact of growing global migration is a key point for future effective prevention of infection. Although the incidence of tuberculosis in Germany is decreasing according to the Robert Koch Institute, public health authorities should nevertheless consider the possible re-import of this infectious disease as a serious problem, in particular in view of the rising resistance rates.