Download PDF
Klin Padiatr
DOI: 10.1055/a-2763-5966
Short Communication

Tuberculosis in a Large Day Care Center: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Tuberkulose in einer großen Kindertageseinrichtung: ein Fallbericht und Literaturrecherche

Authors

  • Franziska Zeyer 

    1   University Children’s Hospital, Dept II, Pediatric Cardiology, Pneumology and Intensive Care, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN27203)

  • Hanna Renk

    2   University Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN27203)

  • Elke Maritz

    3   Pediatrics and Tropical Medicine, Practice for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Bühl, Germany

  • Matthias Kumpf

    1   University Children’s Hospital, Dept II, Pediatric Cardiology, Pneumology and Intensive Care, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN27203)

  • Markus Kratz

    4   Children’s Hospital Baden-Baden Balg, Klinikum Mittelbaden gGmbH, Baden-Baden, Germany (Ringgold ID: RIN195963)
Further Information
Also available at
   Permissions and Reprints

Background

Epidemiological data on tuberculosis (TB) incidence and transmission rates in children are sparse but valuable, as cases of childhood tuberculosis reflect the current transmission (Brodhun BA et al., Bericht zur Epidemiologie der Tuberkulose in Deutschland, Robert Koch-Institut 2021). With over 10 million new cases every year, TB is still not only one of the most common infectious diseases in the world, but also one of the deadliest infectious diseases. With an overall incidence of approximately 5 per 100,000 inhabitants, Germany is a low-incidence country regarding TB. In recent years, however, Germany has not managed to make significant progress when it comes to the World Health Organization’s End TB Strategy, which aims to reduce the incidence to 1 per 100,000 inhabitants by 2035 (Global tuberculosis report 2024. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2024; Robert Koch–Institut, online press release “Tuberkulose – auch für Deutschland nach wie vor relevant”, https://www.rki.de/DE/Aktuelles/Neuigkeiten-und-Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2024/ 04_2024.html, March 2024).

Since children below 5 years of age have an increased risk of both infections and a severe course of the disease (Martinez L et al., Lancet 2020; 395: 973–984), early diagnosis and thorough contact tracing in this age group is particularly important. Data on the transmission rates of tuberculosis in Germany are generally poor, as regional or national registers for contact tracing and surveillance do not exist. The transmission rates of TB can only be estimated from casuistic reports. Additionally, cases with an usual course of the disease are rarely published, leading to a significant reporting bias.



Publication History

Received: 01 July 2025

Accepted after revision: 03 December 2025

Article published online:
16 January 2026

© 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany