Surveillance of tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis in Slovakia

The elimination of tuberculosis (TB) among cattle was claimed in Czecho-Slovakia in the middle of the sixties. Experiences from some countries which eliminated TB among cattle earlier than Czecho-Slovakia indicated a sporadic occurrence of TB caused by M. bovis. A long-term investigation of the occurrence of this 'diminishing zoonosis' has been carried out by a special group of experts (epidemiologists, clinicians, bacteriologists, epizootiologists and veterinary surgeons) on the whole territory of Slovakia. During the period of years 1972-1990 there were discovered 68 new cases of TB in humans caused by M. bovis. This paper analyses the results of the epidemiological investigation of this group of patients from several aspects: eg age, sex, occupation and geographical distribution.