What is tuberculosis?

In Germany, tuberculosis has become a rare disease.

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that mostly affects the lungs. Not all patients are at risk of infection. Tuberculosis is treated with a combination of drugs. The therapy lasts 6 months and, in most cases, leads to healing. Current figures for Germany on all aspects of tuberculosis can be found at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

Tuberculosis was still widespread in Germany until after the 2nd World War. In the post-war years in Germany, it was combated by intensive efforts of the public health service and with the help of the DZK (Tasks and History ).

Currently, media interest in tuberculosis in Germany has increased. This is due, among other things, to tuberculosis diseases have been detected in asylum seekers. Although they are affected somewhat more frequently, the transmission of tuberculosis from asylum seekers or immigrants to the local population remains a rare exception. Tuberculosis is not very contagious. It is therefore not justified to raise fears related to tuberculosis and migration.

Tuberculosis continues to be a rare disease in Germany.

Worldwide, it is estimated that one in four people is infected with tuberculosis.

However, only about one in ten people develop a disease after an infection. In 2018, 10 million people contracted tuberculosis, and about 1.5 million people died. Tuberculosis is therefore still one of the most frequent causes of death worldwide.