[Surveillance of tuberculosis in the Czech Republic in 1989].

The authors report on the tuberculosis situation in the Czech Republic (CR) in 1989 and compare the data with 1988. The incidence of all cases of TB was 18.4/100,000, the incidence of all cases of respiratory TB 15.5 and that of bacteriologically confirmed cases 11.1/100,000. The mortality from TB was also low (1/100,000). Two-thirds of the patients were detected because of the patients' complaints. This passive screening was, however, inadequate in subjects with a poor health consciousness. Active screening was restricted to subjects with a high risk of TB (in contact with tuberculosis, with different diseases, with socio-economic factors, migrating subjects, non-cooperating subjects). In 1989 for the first time in the CR stagnation of the incidence of bacteriologically confirmed TB of the respiratory organs was recorded. The number of patients (5.7/100,000) with TB with a microscopically positive bacteriological finding in sputum was also the same. A slowing down of the hitherto recorded favourable trend of TB must be foreseen. It will be important to maintain the contemporary system of TB surveillance.