TB cases rising in the UK

New data shows that the UK is experiencing a surge in tuberculosis (TB) cases, putting at risk the country’s WHO status on the disease. In its last annual report on infectious diseases in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned about the “re-emergence, re-establishment, and resurgence” of several illnesses after the end of COVID-19 social distancing measures and the return of international travel. Among these illnesses, TB appears particularly prominent, with 500 additional cases notified in 2023 and 600 in 2024. At present, the UK is considered a low-incidence country according to WHO standards, which means a threshold of 10 cases per 100,000 people. However, the significant rise in cases in the last few years can put at risk such status. In some parts of the nation, the figure is already higher than the WHO limit, with an average of 40.7 TB cases per 100,000 people recorded in Leicester between 2020 and 2023. The same rate was detected in Newham, East London, and there were at least four localities (Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Slough) with a rate over 30. Speaking at the UKHSA conference in Manchester on Tuesday (March 25), Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the agency, said that TB “remains a serious public health issue in England”, with notifications of the disease increased by 11% in 2023 and 13% in 2024. She warned that the current rate of increase could make untenable the limit of 10 cases per 100,000 people, making the UK lose the low-incidence status granted by the WHO.
In 2023, TB killed over 1 million people globally, making it the deadliest infectious disease in the world. In England and Wales, the disease killed an estimated four million people during the Victorian era.