[Transmission of multiresistant tuberculosis in a Dutch hospital]

Nosocomial transmission of multiresistant tuberculosis in the Netherlands is described for the first time in this article. It was detected by systematic country-wide DNA-fingerprinting. By the time the contact case (a man aged 35) developed disease he was residing in another part of the country. Contact-investigation by the Municipal Health Services involved revealed that the (HIV negative) contact case had been in contact with the index case (a man aged 27) during hospitalisation two years earlier. An analysis of the infection control measures applied, showed that inadequate treatment, early discharge from isolation and lack of bacteriological control (no sputum conversion documented) led to this hospital transmission.