Background

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by a bacillus (mycobacterium of the Tuberculosis complex) that most commonly affects the lungs and is transmitted through the air. After coming into contact with an infectious case, some people will become infected, and a portion of them will subsequently develop the disease. A person with a tuberculosis infection does not exhibit clinical signs and is not contagious. The risk of developing active tuberculosis following a tuberculosis infection is higher in children and immunocompromised individuals. Several combined clinical signs lead to suspicion of pulmonary tuberculosis, including: persistent cough, persistent fever and night sweats, weight loss, fatigue, and coughing up blood. Tuberculosis is curable with proper treatment. Globally, tuberculosis remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality, with significant geographical and population-based disparities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 1.3 million deaths occurred in 2012. This disease is one of the three leading causes of death among women aged 14 to 44 worldwide. In 2011, the highest number of new tuberculosis cases was recorded in Asia, which accounts for 60% of new cases globally. However, sub-Saharan Africa has the highest proportion of new cases per capita, with more than 255 cases per 100,000 people in 2012. France is currently considered a country with a low incidence of tuberculosis, but significant disparities remain. Certain geographic areas such as the Île-de-France region and French Guiana, major cities, and certain population groups (the elderly, people in precarious situations, and migrants from regions such as sub-Saharan Africa) are more affected and require tuberculosis control measures tailored to the most at-risk populations.Tuberculosis has been a notifiable disease (ND) since 1964. This document presents data from the ND registry as well as resistance data from the National Reference Center for Mycobacteria. Demographic data are from INSEE (localized population estimates, updated January 2013).