Tuberculosis cases in UK shot up nearly 13% in 2024

LONDON

Tuberculosis cases in England jumped 12.9% last year compared to 2023, continuing an upward trend from over the last few years, the latest provisional annual data said on Thursday.

England remains a low-incidence country for TB, but its notification rate rose from 8.5 per 100,000 people in 2023 to 9.5 per 100,000 in 2024, according to the UK Health Security Agency.

In a statement, the agency said 81.5% of all TB notifications in 2024 were in people born outside the UK but there was an increase in both British-born and non British-born populations.

Esther Robinson, head of the agency's TB unit, warned that the infection remains a serious public health issue in England.

"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," she said.

Symptoms of TB include a cough that lasts more than three weeks, high temperature, night sweats, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

According to the World Health Organization, 10.8 million people were ill with TB in 2023, up 7% from 2020.