Call for vigilance as TB cases rise by more than 11 percent

24 March 2010

Provisional figures released today by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) Yorkshire and the Humber show a sharp increase in the number of cases of tuberculosis (TB) confirmed in the region, from 639 reported in 2008 to 712 in 2009.

The figures, released to mark World TB Day today (24th March), show an increase of 11.42% when compared to the previous year. Nationally, a rise in cases was seen in eight out of the nine English regions, with nearly three-quarters of cases occurring in people born outside the UK.

TB infection is spread from person to person when someone coughs or sneezes. Close and prolonged contact with someone with active lung TB is needed to be at risk of being infected.

Dr Ebere Okereke, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control for HPA Yorkshire and the Humber, said: "Since 2006, cases of TB within our region had been decreasing steadily, and so it's disappointing that these latest figures show a sharp increase in cases. This means that our efforts to control this disease must be strengthened.

"Whilst TB is both preventable and curable, it can cause serious illness if prompt diagnosis and treatment are not given, with some cases even resulting in death.

"People need to be aware of the main symptoms of TB, which include a fever and night sweats; a persistent cough; weight loss; and blood in your sputum (phlegm or spit). If you experience two or three of these symptoms for a period of more than three weeks, you should go to your GP."

Both health professionals and the general public should be aware of the following key, simple facts about TB:

- TB is curable. It is usually treated with a six-month course of antibiotics, which MUST be completed in order to discourage recurrence of disease or drug resistance.

- Other symptoms include: lack of appetite, fatigue and a general sense of feeling unwell.

- It is unusual to catch TB simply by sitting next to an infected person, for example on the train. The infection normally requires prolonged and close contact in order to spread from person to person.

- Less than half of cases in the UK have the infectious form of the disease and most cases present little or no risk to others. Most people who come into contact with TB bacteria will be able to fight the bacteria to stop them from developing infectious TB disease.

- People with latent (inactive) TB infection have no symptoms, don't feel ill and cannot spread TB to others. Most people who have latent TB infection will never develop active TB disease as the TB bacteria may remain inactive for a lifetime without causing disease. However, for some people, such as those who have weakened immune systems, the bacteria can become active and cause TB disease.

She added: "These figures indicate that more individuals in our region are being identified for TB treatment. This is encouraging, and both health professionals and the general public alike must remain vigilant if we are to eradicate this major global infection which can kill."

In July 2009, HPA Yorkshire and the Humber held a TB conference for health professionals focusing on the prevention, management and control of the disease within the region. Further workshops are planned for health professionals in the region for later this year, and in May 2010 the HPA will also launch a national strain typing service. The service aims to improve understanding of how TB is spread in the community and help to identify at-risk groups. This will help to inform how public health resources are allocated and, in turn, prevent outbreaks and improve diagnosis and treatment of cases.

Ends

Notes to Editors:

- For further information about TB and to download a copy of this year's TB newsletter, produced by the HPA, please visit http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&Page&HPAwebAutoListName/Page/1191942150134?p=1191942150134

- Information can also be found on the website for the UK's national tuberculosis charity, TB Alert, at www.thetruthabouttb.org and on the NHS Choices website at http://www.nhs.uk/Pages/HomePage.aspx

- World TB Day, which is observed on 24 March each year and organised by the World Health Organisation, aims to build public awareness of the disease and commemorates the day in 1882 when the cause of tuberculosis, TB bacillus, was first discovered. More information can be found at http://www.stoptb.org.

Issued by:
Charlotte Farrar
charlotte.farrar@hpa.org.uk
0113 284 0618

Last reviewed: 24 May 2010