Prague, March 21 (CTK) – The number of tuberculosis cases has fallen by almost one half in ten years and the trend was not negatively affected by the cancellation of vaccination in the Czech Republic, Jiri Wallenfels, from the National Tuberculosis Surveillance Unit of Na Bulovce Hospital, said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Last year, there were 471 of patients treated for the disease.
Experts are reconsidering the necessity of isolation of several months being imposed on all tuberculosis patients.
“After several years of stagnation, in 2017, it was for the first time when we had less than 500 cases a year,” Wallenfels explained.
As regards the low number of the cases, the country fares among the best in Europe, such as Finland, Greece, Cyprus and Iceland, he said.
“We also profit from the fact that the share of foreigners from sub-Saharan regions is low in our country,” he added.
Of those who were sick with the TB disease, about one-third were foreigners, 28 cases were in people born in Ukraine, 22 cases in people from Slovakia, over ten people with tuberculosis were from Romania, Vietnam, Mongolia each and further 48 were from various 24 countries.
The disease was prevalent in men (344). This was also owing to the fact that there were more men among prisoners, the homeless and alcoholics.
It impacted men aged 50-59 and women over 75 the most.
Six cases of tuberculosis were diagnosed in children.
Prague had the highest number of cases overall, followed by Plzen Region (west Bohemia), where the sick rate was increased by foreigners from Romania.
Twenty-three people died of the disease and further patients with TB died due to other reasons.
Since the disease is most contagious before the start of the treatment, experts are considering the option of changing the currently mandatory two-month treatment in hospital to home treatment for some patients. Some 13 percent of the cases do not affect the lungs and are not contagious.
Following their release from hospital, the patients take medicines for about further four months.
According to Martina Vasakova, the head doctor of the Pneumology Clinic of the 1st Faculty of Medicine and Thomayer Hospital, the current mandatory isolation period for people even suspect with tuberculosis contraction is not in effect in any other western European country.
Fourteen EU countries do not isolate even the highly contagious cases without the sick rate for the disease increasing.
Experts suggest that a discussion be started on whether the measure could be applied only to patients who do not cooperate with the doctor or those with a grave or drug-resistant form of the disease.
The bacteria causing tuberculosis is very adaptable and some strains do not respond to certain antibiotics. The death rate for the disease can be up to 40 percent, and may reach up to 60 percent for the most resistant type.
In the Czech Republic, national vaccination against tuberculosis has been in place since 1953, and was only dropped a few years ago.
Number of reported tuberculosis cases in recent years:
Year Total cases: Cases in foreigners: Number of deaths:
2017 471 147 23
2016 517 151 26
2015 516 110 22
2010 680 117 28
2007 871 * *
2005 1007 130 56
2000 1442 * *
1995 1834 * *
1990 1937 * *
Source: Institute of Health Information and Statistics (UZIS), National Tuberculosis Surveillance Unit of Na Bulovce Hospital
