[Tuberculosis]

Abstract

Tuberculosis is still one of the most important infectious disease worldwide. In Germany the tuberculosis incidence has been declining for decades to currently about 4500 new cases per year. A new challenge poses the rising number tuberculosis cases with drug resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Substantiell progress has been achieved in the diagnosis of tuberculosis with new molecular techniques that can lead to a much faster and more reliable identification of cases with acid-fast bacilli smear-negative tuberculosis and in the identification of drug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis. Tuberculosis caused by drug resistant strains of M. tuberculosis is difficult to treat with the currently available medications and is related to very high costs of care. New therapeutic approaches and drugs are urgently needed. Interferon-γ tests have made the diagnosis of latent infection with M. tuberculosis more specific, but hardly contribute to the diagnosis of active tuberculosis.This article presents a brief summary of current knowledge concerning the epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis and treatment of active tuberculosis and latent infection with M. tuberculosis. Moreover, current treatment approaches and economic aspects of care are discussed.