SURVEILLANCE OF TUBERCULOSIS CAUSED BY MYCOBACTERIUM-BOVIS IN SLOVAKIA

The elimination of tuberculosis (TB) among cattle was claimed in Czech o-Slovakia in the middle of the sixties. Experiences from some countri es which eliminated TB among cattle earlier than Czecho-Slovakia indic ated a sporadic occurrence of TB caused by M. bovis. A long-term inves tigation of the occurrence of this 'diminishing zoonosis' has been car ried out by a special group of experts (epidemiologists, clinicians, b acteriologists, epizootiologists and veterinary surgeons) on the whole territory of Slovakia. During the period of years 1972-1990 there wer e discovered 68 new cases of TB in humans caused by M. bovis. This pap er analyses the results of the epidemiological investigation of this g roup of patients from several aspects: eg age, sex, occupation and geo graphical distribution.