The goal of this guidance is to contribute towards preventing as many MDR TB and XDR TB cases as possible in the EU/EEA. Given that MDR TB and XDR TB is becoming more prevalent, the issue of how to manage contacts of MDR TB patients is becoming increasingly relevant. The specific aim of this document is to provide guidance on issues relevant to the management of contacts of MDR TB and XDR TB patients.
This is the fourth surveillance report launched jointly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) following on from reports under the EuroTB project, established in 1996.
This surveillance report was prepared by EUVAC.net, which is a European surveillance network for vaccine-preventable diseases. The network collects data on surveillance systems and selected epidemiological characteristics of vaccine preventable diseases in the EU and other participating countries. It is jointly funded by ECDC and the Statens Serum Institut (Denmark).