Megan West, who is from Coventry, West Midlands, recently warned other parents about the signs and symptoms of tuberculosis, after Elliot was diagnosed with the infectious disease
A long-lasting cough and weight loss can be symptoms of a infectious disease rife in the Victorian era, the NHS website warns.
Data late last year showed Victorian superbug tuberculosis nearly lost its “low-incidence” status. One of those diagnosed with it last year was little Elliot West, four, who had experienced night sweats and weight loss.
As his mum Megan shared the family’s story to raise awareness of the disease, the Mirror has listed below the main symptoms of tuberculosis again to help other parents. Megan, from Coventry, West Midlands, feared for her son’s life when she was told he needed a spinal fusion surgery last year. As we reported, Elliot is now on the mend, but Megan told other parents: “Listen to your child and push when you don’t feel things are right.”
Figures released by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show there were 5,490 notifications of tuberculosis (TB) in England in 2024. That was a 13% increase – or more than 600 additional cases – from 4,831 notifications in 2023.
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Full list of tuberculosis symptoms
Tuberculosis, which usually affects the lungs, can be treated with antibiotics but can be serious if not treated. There’s a vaccine that helps protect some people who are at risk from the infectious disease. Symptoms of tuberculosis usually come on gradually, the NHS says.
Those common symptoms are;
- a cough that lasts more than 3 weeks – you may cough up mucus (phlegm) or mucus with blood in it
- feeling tired or exhausted
- a high temperature or night sweats
- loss of appetite
- weight loss
- feeling generally unwell
READ MORE: TB back with rising cases – see cases of Victorian superbug with interactive map
Children may also have difficulty gaining weight or growing. If tuberculosis has spread to another part of your body such as your glands (lymph nodes), bones or brain, you may also have other symptoms, including:
- swollen glands
- body aches and pains
- swollen joints or ankles
- tummy or pelvic pain
- constipation
- dark or cloudy pee
- a headache
- being sick
- feeling confused
- a stiff neck
- a rash on the legs, face or other part of the body
Sometimes you can have tuberculosis in your body but have no symptoms. This is called latent tuberculosis. If you have tuberculosis and you have symptoms, it’s called active tuberculosis, the NHS says.
In Elliot’s case, he first experienced difficulty walking. Doctors, though, reportedly put the boy’s symptoms down to viral infections and said he could be walking weirdly for attention due to having a baby sister.
But in the end Megan, a stay-at-home mother, resorted to taking her son to Coventry Hospital in June 2025 after he complained of his legs ‘not working’, where an x-ray revealed lymph nodes in the child’s lungs.
