[Tuberculosis and migration].

Abstract

The decline of tuberculosis in many western countries has faded off in many countries in recent years because of migration of people from high-prevalence to low-prevalence areas. Tuberculosis in immigrants mirrors tuberculosis in the country of origin with a predominance of young people with a high incidence of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Typically, the tuberculosis appears in the first five years after arrival. The impact of immigrant tuberculosis has been discussed in a number of recent publications. In Denmark the incidence of tuberculosis in immigrants now outnumbers the incidence in Danes. Screening for tuberculosis in immigrants is not obligatory and is only offered to asylum seekers under the care of the Danish Red Cross but could be considered in all immigrants from high-prevalence countries.