TB – it’s back
We thought it was almost eradicated in the UK, but TB is back. Dr Howard Lee considers the problems tuberculosis poses
TB remains an important health issue in the UK, especially in larger cities and among certain ethnic groups.
After an 11 per cent increase in the number of cases report in 2005, the number of people is now stable at this higher level, so the disease seems to be staging a comeback. Iun 2007, 8496 people contracted TB in the UK, with most cases occurring in London.
This trend is reflected worldwide. There are now more confirmed cases of TB than there were in 1950 and the most worrying feature of the current outbreak is the emergence of a drug-resistant form that's extremely difficult to treat.
Of course, tuberculosis was rife in the 19th century, causing up to 25 per cent of deaths in Europe, but the death toll began to fall as living standards improved and by the 1940s effective medicines were developed.
In fact, a few years ago, when supplies of the vaccine became scarce, routine vaccination was stopped.
What is the disease?
First and foremost, TB is a disease of the lungs. It's an infection by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which can spread via the blood to all organs of the body.
This means that TB can develop in the outer linings of the lungs, in the bones, the urinary tract and sexual organs, the intestines and even the skin.
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