Health chiefs have highlighted symptoms of illness which killed 4 million in Victorian times which has soared in last 12 months
The number of TB cases in England has surged, with over 5,000 people diagnosed with the deadly superbug that claimed an estimated four million lives during Victorian Britain. The UK Health Security Agency’s latest data reveals a 12.9% increase in reported Tuberculosis (TB) notifications last year compared to 2023.
There were 5,480 notifications of the disease last year, up from 4,850 in 2022. This means England is lagging further behind in meeting the World Health Organisation’s TB elimination target, set in 2015, of a 90% reduction in cases by 2035.
Eight out of 10 TB notifications in 2024 (81.5%) were in people born outside the UK, but there was an increase in both UK-born and non-UK-born populations. TB continues to be linked with deprivation and is more prevalent in large urban areas.
Among people born in the UK, TB is more common in those experiencing homelessness, drug or alcohol dependency, and contact with the criminal justice system. London (1,877) and the West Midlands (709) had the highest number of TB notifications in 2024.
However, TB cases are growing fastest in the West Midlands, where the number of notifications increased by 22.2%. Yorkshire and the Humber (up 18.2%) and the South West (a 15.1% increase) followed.
While England remains a low-incidence country for TB, the notification rate in England rose from 8.5 cases per 100,000 people in 2023 to 9.5 per 100,000 in 2024.
Dr Esther Robinson, Head of the TB Unit at UKHSA, warned: “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-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, once known as “consumption”, was responsible for an estimated four million deaths in England and Wales between 1851 and 1910. The disease, which was prevalent in the 18th and 19th centuries, featured in the works of authors such as Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Samuel Richardson.
Today, TB is the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, surpassing COVID-19. It is a bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs, making it infectious.
Symptoms of TB include:
- A cough lasting more than three weeks.
- High temperature.
- Night sweats.
- Loss of appetite.
- Weight loss.
TB can also affect other parts of the body, causing symptoms such as swollen glands and joints. The infection can spread through close contact with people who have the infection and are showing symptoms.
Active TB is spread when an infected person coughs, releasing small droplets containing the bacteria. Long-term exposure to these droplets can lead to infection.
While TB can be treated with a lengthy course of antibiotics, it can become serious if left untreated. As part of the visa requirements, anyone planning to stay in the UK for six months or more from certain high-risk countries must undergo a TB test.
However, the bacterium causing TB can also remain dormant for several years. A testing and treatment programme is currently operational in areas of England with higher incidence rates for new arrivals from high-incidence countries.
