The epidemiology of paediatric tuberculosis in Europe

Walls, Tony; Shingadia, Delane; Novelli, Vas

doi:10.1016/j.cupe.2004.02.009

« Previous Next »Current Paediatrics
Volume 14, Issue 3 , Pages 258-262, June 2004

The epidemiology of paediatric tuberculosis in Europe

Tony Walls
- Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Australasia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Great Ormond Street, London WC1N 3JH, UK
- Corresponding author. Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Great Ormond Street, London WC1N 3JH, UK. Tel.: +44-20-7813-8504; fax: +44-20-7813-8552
Delane Shingadia
- Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Academic Department of Child Health, Royal London Hospital, 1st Floor Luckes House, Stepney Way, Whitechapel, London E1 1BB, UK
Vas Novelli
- Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Great Ormond Street, London WC1N 3JH, UK

Abstract

Tuberculosis is one of the major infections affecting children world-wide. The epidemiology of paediatric tuberculosis in Europe reflects world-wide trends, with significant differences in rates of disease between resource-poor nations and those with well-funded tuberculosis control programmes. The highest rates of disease occur in Eastern European countries, with increasing rates of disease in children resulting from increasing numbers of infectious adults within communities. Western European nations continue to have low rates of tuberculosis, with a large proportion of disease occurring in recent immigrants from high-burden countries, particularly those in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Keywords: Tuberculosis, Epidemiology, Paediatric