Mycobacterial infections in Norway.

Tuberculosis was a major health problem in Norway in the first part of the century, but since the thirties there has been a dramatic and steady decline in incidence. However, for various reasons, including tuberculosis in foreign-born residents, there has been no definite decrease in notified cases during the last decade. The emergence of drug resistant strains of M. tuberculosis has up to now not been a problem of any significance. Leprosy reached its peak incidence in the 19th century. Nowadays the few imported cases seen, on average less than one a year, may represent a diagnostic challenge. Therapeutically, we have adopted a modification of the multidrug regime introduced and recommended by WHO a decade ago. Available figures indicate that diseases due to other mycobacteria, so-called atypical mycobacteria, may be an increasing problem. A small part of the observed increase is due to infections with Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex in AIDS patients.