[Trends in major tuberculosis epidemiological indices in Armenia over 10 years (1997-2006)]

The authors studied statistical data on the trend in quantitative and qualitative tuberculosis epidemiological indices in Armenia in the period of 1997 to 2006. They ascertained a 1.7-fold rise in the incidence and prevalence of tuberculosis per 100,000 (from 27.8 to 48.6 and from 103.8 to 176.1), by preserving the mortality rates at the same level (4.3). However, morbidity rates have become steady-state in the past 2 years. Along with this, that was a slight deterioration in the qualitative indices--new tuberculosis cases showed increases in the proportion of destructive forms from 62.9 to 67.7%, bacteria-discharging persons from 70 to 75.9%, extrapulmonary forms from 7.3 to 9.3%, childhood morbidity from 9.6 to 19.1% with reductions in their proportion among all detected patients from 12.2 to 9.9%; an increase in the proportion of deceased persons within the first year of the disease from 20.6 to 35.0% and in postmortem diagnosis rates from 0.7 to 0.8%. The cure rates comprised an increase in cavern closure rates from 55.4 to 66%, with the preservation of bacterial discharge cessation at the level of 73-74%, a reduction in mortality rates among both new cases from 3.5 to 2.5 and the contingent of tuberculosis patients from 4.8 to 3.5%, a 3.3-fold rise in early recurrences (from 0.9 to 1.3 per 100,000). The further task of the republic's antituberculosis service, planned by the authors, is to improve work in actively detecting tuberculosis in risk groups and treatment monitoring in patients with tuberculosis.