MYCOBACTERIAL INFECTIONS IN NORWAY

Tuberculosis was a major health problem in Norway in the first part of the century, but since the thirties there has been a dramatic and ste ady decline in incidence. However, for various reasons, including tube rculosis in foreign-born residents, there has been no definite decreas e in notified cases during the last decade. The emergence of drug resi stant strains of M. tuberculosis has up to now not been a problem of a ny significance. Leprosy reached its peak incidence in the 19th centur y. Nowadays the few imported cases seen, on average less than one a ye ar, may represent a diagnostic challenge, Therapeutically, we have ado pted a modification of the multidrug regime introduced and recommended by WHO a decade ago. Available figures indicate that diseases due to other mycobacteria, so-called atypical mycobacteria, may be an increas ing problem. A small part of the observed increase is due to infection s with Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex in AIDS patients.