Human tuberculosis incidents fall to record low

The number of new cases of tuberculosis reported in 2000 fell by 15.8 per cent to a record low of 395, according to the National Disease Surveillance Centre this afternoon.

This compares with 469 cases in 1999 and 424 in 1998. The ratio of cases is now 10.9 per 100,000 people cases a significant fall on last year and down from 18.2 per 100,000 people in 1991.

Regional variation in the incidence of TB was noted, with 14.8 per 100,000 cases notified in the Mid-western Health Board region. The North Western Health Board area only 4.3 cases per 100,000 were reported.

There were 37 deaths among the cases notified and in six cases TB was recorded as the cause of death.

Males showed a higher ratio of the disease with 60.5 per cent of cases. The report notes that the number of TB cases worldwide has continued to increase each year with 8.4 million cases in 1999. If present trends continue this is expected to rise to 10.2 million new cases by 2005.

The report notes that immigrants and asylum-seekers comprise only 11.4 per cent of the new cases.

But despite the reduction in the number of TB cases, the report says Ireland does not yet meet the criteria set down by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease for discontinuing the national BCG vaccination programme.