Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially serious infectious disease caused by a particular bacterium. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, TB was the leading cause of infectious diseases-related deaths in the world. Most people infected with TB do not have symptoms and are not contagious in that stage. However, if the infection breaks out, it can cause health problems leading up to death. TB is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It usually takes being several hours in the same room in order to be infected. Typical symptoms include cough, fever, fatigue, weight loss and night sweats. If left untreated, the infection can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia, shortness of breath, lung bleeding, or even death. Treatment takes several months and is mostly only possible with a combination of different antibiotics.

Tuberculosis does appear worldwide, with most cases occurring in Africa and Southeast Asia. Two-thirds of all cases occurred in India, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and South Africa in 2020. The number of cases is decreasing in highly developed countries. In Switzerland, approximately 550 new cases still occur each year. In Switzerland, this mainly affects people who have lived in a highly endemic country for a longer period of time or who are in retirement age (infected as a child).

Vaccination is only recommended if a long-term stay in a country with a high tuberculosis rate is planned during the first year of life. After the first year of life, vaccination is no longer recommended. Unfortunately, no vaccine against tuberculosis is available throughout Switzerland. If vaccination is recommended, it can be done in the destination country.