Immigrants, and especially those recently arrived in host countries, are a high-risk group for tuberculosis. In 2006 in France, nearly half of the new cases of tuberculosis were reported in this group. The incidence rate among people born abroad was about seven times higher than that observed in people born in France (38.9/105 vs 5.2/105). The incidence was also the highest in districts with a high proportion of socioeconomically vulnerable population, such as Paris and greater Paris area. The characteristics of French born and non-French born cases differed. Patients born abroad were less likely to have pulmonary tuberculosis (68.2% vs 78.2; p < 0.001) and were more likely to live in institutions (such as migrant shelters) and to harbor multiresistant tuberculosis strains. A national tuberculosis control program was launched in France in 2007, to decrease the prevalence of tuberculosis in targeted populations. © 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

tuberculosis Epidemiology immigrants

immigrant France human statistics Ethnic Groups ethnic group epidemiological data Humans lung tuberculosis male Emigrants and Immigrants Tuberculosis, Pulmonary preschool child Socioeconomic Factors tuberculosis Infant Child, Preschool socioeconomics high risk population prevalence Incidence Article migration Paris