[Tuberculosis in Switzerland in 1996: prevention and treatment]

Tuberculosis is currently a rare disease in Switzerland and its incidence is slowly decreasing. Nevertheless, the increase in the proportion of foreign-born patients, the occurrence of multidrug-resistant bacilli and the increase of tuberculosis in HIV-infected individuals give rise to concern and have prompted changes in the management of the disease. The first aim is to cure the patients with adequate chemotherapy in order to prevent relapses and the development of drug-resistant germs. The best way to do so is to provide directly supervised treatment, particularly in cases where compliance with the treatment may be uncertain. Tuberculosis is transmissible to sensitive individuals. Therefore, some preventive measures are still indicated in settings where patients with a known or unknown bacillary form of tuberculosis may be cared for.