Tuberculosis is curable and preventable, but the Victoria disease remains a serious public health issue in England. Cases are on the rise by more than 10 per cent in the last year
Cases of tuberculosis have increased by 11 per cent in the latest figures released by the government today.
The figures for the Victorian disease in England are for the amount of people diagnosed with it in 2023. They show cases are soaring in comparison to the figures for 2022. Last year 4,855 cases were detected compared to 4,380 the previous year.
The data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), shows that during 2023 there were 15.6 notifications for TB per 100,000 population. This is lower than the high of 2011 which saw 15.6 notifications per 100,000 population.
The UKHSA says 80% of all TB notifications in 2023 were in people born outside the UK. The most common countries where non-UK born TB cases came from were India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Romania.
Tuberculosis continues to be associated with deprivation and the infection is more common in large urban areas. TB rates remain highest in London, at 18.7 notifications per 100,000 people. For those born in the UK, TB is more common among those who experience homelessness, drug and alcohol dependence and have had contact with the criminal justice system.
Although numbers remain low, there was an increase in drug-resistant infections requiring longer and more complex treatment. Of lab confirmed TB notifications in 2023, 2.4% were multi-drug resistant. UKHSA has a Whole Genome Sequencing diagnostics programme in place, which means that we can diagnose drug resistance much more quickly than with traditional methods, helping people get the most effective treatment sooner.
Dr Esther Robinson, head of the TB Unit at UKHSA, said: “TB is curable and preventable, but the disease remains a serious public health issue in England. 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-19. A cough that usually has mucus and lasts longer than 3 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.”
TB is the world ’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, having surpassed coronavirus (COVID-19). It is a bacterial infection that most frequently affects the lungs, which is when it is infectious. The WHO estimates that 10.8 million people were ill with TB in 2023, a 7% increase from 2020.
Symptoms of TB include:
- a cough that lasts more than 3 weeks
- high temperature
- night sweats
- loss of appetite
- weight loss
TB can also be found in other parts of the body beside the lungs, with symptoms including swollen glands and joints. It can be treated with a long course of antibiotics but can be serious, particularly if not treated.
UKHSA says it is working with partner organisations to advance TB treatments by assessing the effectiveness of both new therapeutics and vaccines to improve the prevention, detection, and control of TB in England.
The number of people screened before entry to the UK doubled in 2023 to 1,059,309 compared to 2021. 505 people were diagnosed with pulmonary TB by this process and could not enter the UK until they had completed treatment.
However, the bacterium that causes TB can also lie dormant for many years – something known as latent TB. To detect people with latent TB infection, a testing and treatment programme is in place in higher incidence areas of England for new arrivals from higher incidence countries.
