Cases of tuberculosis rose in the UK last year to more than 5,000 according to the UKHSA, with those most at risk those who experience homelessness, drug or alcohol dependency
Cases of a Victorian superbug which once killed millions of people are on the rise – and you can check where it is most virulent with our map.
More than 5,000 people in England were diagnosed with Tuberculosis (TB) last year, up from 4,850 the previous year, according to the UK Health Security Agency. As many as eight in 10 TB notifications in 2024 (82%) were from people born outside the UK, however there was an increase in both UK-born and non-UK-born populations.
The most recent figures mean England has fallen further behind in achieving the World Health Organisation’s TB elimination target, set in 2015, of a 90% reduction in cases by 2035. They show London (1,877) and the West Midlands (709) had the highest number of TB notifications, although the latter is the fastest growing in the country.
Dr Esther Robinson, head of the TB Unit at 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-19.
“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.”
Yorkshire and the Humber (up 18%) and the South West (a 15% increase) followed. While England remains a low-incidence country for TB, the notification rate rose from 8.5 cases per 100,000 people in 2023 to 9.5 cases per 100,000 in 2024. However, in some parts of the nation, the rate is far higher.
The latest local authority data, covering the three years to 2023, shows that, for the first time, Leicester had the highest infection rate in England. Between 2021 and 2023, the average notification rate was 40.7 TB notifications per 100,000 of the population in Leicester.
Only one other local authority district, Newham in London, had a rate above 40 TB notifications per 100,000 of the population (40.6), while four had a rate above 30 – Brent (39.1), Ealing (31.6), Harrow (31.1), and Slough (31.1).
TB continues to be associated with deprivation and is more common 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.
