[Tuberculosis Annual Report 2008--Series 1. Summary of TB notification statistics in 2008].

Annual reports of tuberculosis (TB) statistics in Japan have been compiled mainly using the output of the database obtained through the nationwide computerized tuberculosis surveillance system which has been operated since 1987. This system has been revised several times, with the latest revision conducted in 2007 when much new information was added. However, feedback of information from the system to researchers and people engaged in TB control has been inadequate. Therefore, a plan was drawn up to provide TB epidemiological statistics in Japan on "Kekkaku": a series of about ten reports will be issued. This is the first report of the series for 2009. The report can be summarized as follows. The TB notification (incidence) rate fell below 20 per 100,000 in 2007 and continued to decline, reaching 19.4 in 2008. However, 24,760 TB patients were newly notified in 2008. For sputum smear positive pulmonary TB, the patient count was 9,809 with an incidence rate of 7.7 per 100,000 in 2008. Since June 2007, it has been legally compulsory to notify latent TB infections (LTBI) requiring treatment; the number in 2008 was 4,832 cases.