Claim tuberculosis counseling
Source: BUS Rheinland-PfalzTuberculosis is a contagious disease. It is an infectious disease that often begins with uncharacteristic symptoms (cough, tiredness, slight fever, etc.) and mainly affects the lungs, but can also affect other organs.
In order to prevent the disease from spreading in the body and to prevent other people from becoming infected, it is important to recognize it early and start treatment with medication. Tuberculosis is classified as a notifiable disease in Germany.
Treatment is lengthy and must be carried out consistently, as otherwise the disease may break out again, antibiotics may become ineffective (so-called development of resistance) and infection may lead to further cases of the disease.
Contact persons:
After receiving a report, the public health department identifies the contact persons with whom the person suffering from tuberculosis had contact relevant to infection in the months prior to diagnosis. As a rule, all contact persons receive a tuberculin skin test as part of the environmental examination. Depending on the result, vaccination status and state of health, it is decided whether further examinations (e.g. X-ray, blood test) and possibly preventive therapy are required.
The Infection Protection Act obliges every citizen to tolerate and support the investigations of the public health department (Section 16 Infection Protection Act). This is the only way to avert imminent dangers to the individual and the general public.
The tuberculosis care provided by the public health department makes it possible to quickly identify infected persons and provide them with the right help. Consistent drug treatment now offers good prospects of recovery.
Consultations and examinations by the public health department are free of charge.
Note on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for persons obliged to notify (report, transmit), such as doctors and community facilities:
The legality of notifications and transmissions remains unaffected by the entry into force of the GDPR. However, the data subject must be informed in accordance with the provisions of Art. 13 GDPR if personal data is collected from them for the first time.
Further information on this can be found in the letter from the Federal Ministry of Health dated 25.06.2018 (see below: "Letter BMG IfSG-Vollzug zum Inkrafttreten DSGVO").