FOR many Brits, tuberculosis belongs in history books.
But the Victorian bug, dubbed one of the most deadly infections in the world, is on the rise in the UK once again.
TB mainly affects the lungs, but it can affect any part of the body too
Health chiefs are scrambling to investigate the reasons behind the 10 per cent rise in TB cases last year in England – with infections up from 4,380 in 2022 to 4,850 in 2023.
Officials said the largest increases have been seen in London, nicknamed the “TB capital of Western Europe” as well as urban areas in the West Midlands and North West.
Last month, Dr Esther Robinson, head of the TB unit at the UK Health Security Agency, warned Brits to look for key signs of the bug.
“Not every persistent cough, along with a fever, is caused by flu or Covid-19,” she said.
“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.”
HOW TO SPOT SIGNS OF TB
TB mainly affects the lungs, but it can affect any part of the body, including the glands, bones, and nervous system, according to NHS Inform’s website.
Typical symptoms include:
A persistent cough that lasts more than three weeks and usually brings up phlegm, which may be bloody
High temperature (fever)
Tiredness and fatigue
Loss of appetite
New swellings that haven’t gone away after a few weeks.
A recent study found that four in five people who catch the bug won’t suffer from a cough – previously thought to be a key symptom of TB.
Globally, 7.5million people were diagnosed with TB in 2022 – the highest number ever recorded.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) previously said this was because many people could not get a diagnosis or treatment during Covid lockdowns – when healthcare was, on the whole, harder to access.
A separate report found cases of drug-resistant TB had increased by three per cent between 2020 and 2021.
In July 2022, Brits were urged to be on the lookout for signs of the deadly Victorian disease after an outbreak at a university in Wales.
GettyIn the 19th century, TB killed at least one in seven people in England[/caption]
WHAT IS TB?
TB remains one of the world’s most deadly diseases and the second leading infectious killer after Covid-19.
The bacterial infection spreads in the air when people carrying the bug cough, sneeze, breathe, laugh or spit.
The infection can spread to your brain, heart, abdomen, glands, bones and nervous system.
This disease was once a scourge and killed an estimated four million people between 1851 and 1910.
Today, less than six per cent of those with TB are killed by the disease thanks to antibiotics.
People are at higher risk of the disease if they are in close contact with a person known to have the disease, travel to countries with high rates of TB, are homeless, are addicted to drugs, have a weakened immune system or are in prison.
How can I protect myself against TB?
There is a shot to protect you against tuberculosis called the BCG vaccine.
The NHS stopped offering the BCG vaccine to children in 2005, now only targeting children who travel to badly affected countries.
The NHS recommends it for the following groups:
Babies who live in areas of the UK where TB is more common
Babies and children who live with someone who has TB
Babies and children who were born or lived in a country where TB is more common
Babies and children whose parents or grandparents were born in a country where TB is more common
People aged 35 and under who are spending more than 3 months in a country where TB is more common
People at risk of getting TB through their work, such as healthcare workers who work with people who have TB