Marked each year on 24 March, World Tuberculosis Day gives the occasion to raise awareness about tuberculosis (TB) and to advocate more efforts to eliminate it. ECDC has launched the latest surveillance data and materials on interventions addressing vulnerable groups.
Tuberculosis is a persistent public health threat but it could be eliminated if specific action is taken. In Europe, most countries have low TB rates. The disease tends to concentrates among the marginalised, the poorest and most vulnerable groups.
In 2014, 58 008 cases of TB were reported in 29 EU/EEA countries (Table 1). As in previous years, three countries (Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom) accounted for approximately 50% of all reported cases, with Romania alone accounting for 27%.
This issue of the ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) covers the period 13-19 March 2016 and includes updates on Zika virus, haemolytic uraemic syndrome in Romania and seasonal influenza.