In Germany the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is relatively 15.1%, compared with a national average of 8.9% reported for low and is steadily decreasing, with a total of 7,866 new cases 31 December 2001 (24).an overall TB incidence of 16.25 cases per 100,000 inhabitants was documented in Hamburg in 2001; This represents the high est TB incidence rate among all 16 German federal states (22) and by being one of Germany's most popular tourist destina tions, also has the highest proportion of foreign residents Corresponding author.reported to the Robert Koch Institute in 2001 (9.6 per 100,000 In order to identify the pathways of TB transmission and to inhabitants, c. 11.0 per 100.000 inhabitants in 2000 and 12.1 determine the predictors of clustering of identical isolates in per 100.000 inhabitants in 1999) 21.Particular attention was paid mans has declined to a relatively low level of 8.0 per 100.000 in to determination of the risk of recently transmitted discase in habitants (12), while the corresponding level for foreign - born this population and whether the present public health surveil inhabitants was 59.6 per 100.000, ie. , more than seven times lance efforts in Hamburg measure up to the task of detecting a greater than the level among native Germans.Parkallee 18 D - 23545 Borstel, Germany.