[Epidemiology of tuberculosis in French Brittany: cases notified between 2000 and 2007]

The authors studied the reported cases of tuberculosis diseases in Brittany between 2000 and 2007 via the mandatory notification scheme. One thousand nine hundred and seventy-five cases were notified during the study period. The incidence in French Brittany (eight cases per 100,000) was the third highest in France. A statistically significant negative trend was observed later, mainly attributable to a decrease between 2000 and 2001. The mean patient age at notification was 55 in Brittany versus 46 years of age for the rest of France (p<0.001). Eighty per cent of the patients were born in France versus 46% for the rest of the country. The rate of multiresistance to antibiotics was 1.3% versus 4.6% for the rest of France (p<0.001). The estimated completeness of notification was 80% compared to 70% for the whole country. Despite a decrease of tuberculosis incidence in Brittany, the withdrawal of mandatory vaccination suggests strengthening tuberculosis monitoring in the future.