E Zehetner | PubMed Health

PubMed1994

[Current status of tuberculosis in Vienna].

The increasing number of HIV infected persons on the one hand, and a continuously increasing number of immigrants from countries with high incidence of active tuberculosis on the other hand have an influence on the incidence of tuberculosis in Vienna in general. Nevertheless people of Austrian origin have a decreasing chance of getting tuberculosis if they are not infected with HIV. Screening of risk groups (e.g. immigrants and HIV infected persons) is a good tool to prevent a further epidemic outbreak of tuberculosis in Austria.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMed1994

[Migration and tuberculosis in Austria].

For a long time the risk of importing tuberculosis via immigrants and asylum seekers from countries with a high infection prevalence has been a much-discussed problem. Statistically significant increases in tuberculosis incidence were first regitered in the USA in the wake of several immigration waves, and then the former colonial powers in Europe, France and the United Kingdom, were faced with the problem in the 50 s and 60 s. It was found that not only tuberculosis morbidity, but also the risk of infection and illness were much higher among immigrants from the former African colonies, the West Indies, Pakistan, and India than among the native Europeans, which gave rise to the utmost concern. The same reactions were incited by the first reports on the so-called "foreign-worker tuberculosis" from Switzerland in the early 60 s and not much later from the FRG. Although tuberculosis morbidity among foreign workers and their relatives remained twice as high as among the indigenous population, tuberculosis has continually gone down in Switzerland and the FRG in subsequent years. The initial concern that a relatively high rate of foreigners could have long-lasting epidemiological consequences was not confirmed.

Adolescent↗