[Tuberculosis is transmitted in hospital and autopsy room--an epidemic in healthcare personnel].

We describe an epidemic of tuberculosis of occupational origin in five healthcare workers, which originated from a patient with tuberculous peritonitis. The source of the infection was not revealed until one year after the patient's death. Over 300 workers were exposed to tuberculosis. Up-to-date microbiological molecular technology was applied to the investigation of the infection among the exposed workers. This was the first time that an electronic reporting system for biological exposures was utilized for the investigation of an epidemic. Within this epidemic it is assumed that another five workers will develop a symptomatic tuberculosis infection during their lifetime.