Tuberculosis in times of war and crisis: Epidemiological trends and characteristics of patients born in Ukraine, Germany, 2022

Euro Surveill. 2023 Jun;28(24):2300284. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2023.28.24.2300284.

Abstract

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 caused a large migration to other European countries, including Germany. This movement impacted the TB epidemiology, as Ukraine has a higher prevalence of TB and multidrug-resistant TB rates compared to Germany. Our descriptive analysis of TB surveillance data reveals important information to improve TB care in people displaced from Ukraine. We observed an expected increase in the number of TB patients born in Ukraine, which is, however, so far below WHO/Europe estimates.

Keywords: Ukraine; case finding; drug resistance; epidemiology; tuberculosis.

MeSH terms

  • Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use
  • Europe / epidemiology
  • Germany / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Tuberculosis* / drug therapy
  • Tuberculosis* / epidemiology
  • Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant* / drug therapy
  • Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant* / epidemiology
  • Ukraine / epidemiology

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents