Tuberculosis (TB) cases are surging, fuelling fears England may see a resurgence of the Victorian-era illness.
The latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) figures show 5,480 people were struck by the bacterial infection in 2024 — a rise of 13 per cent on the previous year.
This is despite 2023 being a bumper year for TB.
It marked only the fourth time cases of the infection have increased nationally over the past decade.
Panicked health officials today stressed TB was a ‘serious public health issue’ and urged Brits with a persistent cough or fever not to dismiss it as flu and Covid and get checked out.
The infection is spread by the coughs and sneezes of patients and most often affects the lungs, although it can get into other parts of the body.
Early symptoms of the disease include coughs, fevers, night sweats and weight loss.
Severe tuberculosis infection can kill by destroying the organs from the inside, causing them to bleed and fill with liquid.
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UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) figures show 5,480 people were struck by the bacterial infection in 2024 — a rise of 13 per cent on the previous year. Pictured, mycobacterium tuberculosis which is responsible for tuberculosis
England remains a low-incidence country for TB. However, the UKHSA said progress towards eliminating the disease has stalled.
They had been declining sharply since 2011, when a peak of more than 8,000 infections were registered, but the trend was reversed in 2019.
Cases remained ‘broadly stable’ in 2021 and 2022 with 4,425 and 4,380 respectively. In 2023, this rose to 4,850.
The largest increases last year were seen in the West Midlands and London, recording rises of 22.2 and 13.3 per cent respectively, UKHSA said.
This was followed by the North West and South East with 11.4 and 7.4 per cent increases.
Health officials also said TB rates were highest among people in England who are originally from other parts of the world, where the disease is more common.
More than 8 in 10 TB cases in 2024 were in ‘people born outside the UK but there was an increase in both UK born and non-UK born populations’, they added.
Levels of the disease are also higher in urban populations, especially among those living in deprived areas.
The largest increases last year were seen in the West Midlands and London, recording rises of 22.2 and 13.3 per cent respectively, UKHSA said
Dr Esther Robinson, head of the TB unit at the UKHSA, said: ‘TB remains a serious public health issue in England.
‘The infection is preventable and curable.
‘If you have moved to England from a country where TB is more common, please be aware of the symptoms of TB so you can get promptly tested and treated through your GP surgery.
‘Not every persistent cough, along with a fever, is caused by flu or Covid.
‘A cough that usually has mucus and lasts longer than three weeks can be caused by a range of other issues, including TB.
‘Please speak to your GP if you think you could be at risk.’
In October, the World Health Organization warned that TB was now the ‘the leading infectious disease killer’, with a record 8.2million cases recorded globally in 2023.
While global cases have soared, the number of deaths from the disease recorded by the WHO actually fell from 1.32 million in 2022 to 1.25 million in 2023.
In October, WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: ‘The fact that TB still kills and sickens so many people is an outrage, when we have the tools to prevent it, detect it and treat it’
However, given TB can take years to kill, the true impact of the newly recorded rise is likely not to be felt until some time in the future.
At the time, WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: ‘The fact that TB still kills and sickens so many people is an outrage, when we have the tools to prevent it, detect it and treat it.’
It is estimated to kill around 1.6million people worldwide each year.
TB is particularly dangerous for immunocompromised people, like those undergoing chemotherapy, and for those without access to good medical care.
But in England the infection can usually be cured with antibiotics.
The BCG vaccine protects people from getting TB but is only given to those at higher risk of getting the infection.
