MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Tuberculosis cases in England continued to increase in 2024

The latest provisional annual data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that reported notifications of tuberculosis (TB) in England increased by 12.9% compared to 2023, continuing the upward trend over the last few years.

England remains a low-incidence country for TB, but the TB notification rate in England rose from 8.5 per 100,000 population in 2023 to 9.5 per 100,000 in 2024.

81.5% of all TB notifications in 2024 were in people born outside the UK but there was an increase in both UK-born and non UK-born populations.

Tuberculosis continues to be associated with deprivation and is more common in large urban areas. The largest increases in TB notifications in 2024 were recorded in London and West Midlands. Among UK-born individuals, TB is more common in those experiencing homelessness, drug or alcohol dependency, and contact with the criminal justice system.

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 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 is the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, having surpassed coronavirus (COVID-19). It is a bacterial infection that most frequently affects the lungs, which is when it is infectious.

Symptoms of TB include:

• a cough that lasts more than 3 weeks
• high temperature
• night sweats
• loss of appetite
• weight loss

TB can also be found in other parts of the body besides the lungs, with symptoms including swollen glands and joints. More information on the symptoms of TB and what to do is available.

TB can spread through close contact with people who have the infection and have symptoms (active TB). When someone with active TB coughs, they release small droplets containing the bacteria. You can catch TB if you regularly breathe in these droplets over a long period of time. It can be treated with a long course of antibiotics but can be serious, particularly if not treated.

A TB test for infectious TB in the lungs is part of the visa requirements for anyone coming to stay in the UK for 6 months or more if they are coming from certain countries where TB is common. However, the bacterium that causes TB can also lie dormant for many years – something known as latent TB. To detect people with latent TB infection, a testing and treatment programme is in place in higher incidence areas of England for new arrivals from higher incidence countries.