UK tuberculosis rates ‘remain high despite small recent decrease’

Public Health England has raised concerns about the continued high rates of tuberculosis recorded in the UK.

According to its latest TB in the UK Report, a total of 7,892 cases of tuberculosis were confirmed in 2013, a decrease on the 8,729 cases reported in 2012 – giving an incidence of 12.3 cases per every 100,000 people.

It is one of the highest rates of tuberculosis in western Europe, with London accounting for the highest proportion of cases in the entire country, making up 37.8 percent of the overall total. The disease remains highest among settled migrants in the non-UK born population.

The study also revealed 70 percent of cases were seen in the top 40 percent of most deprived areas in the country.

Dr Lucy Thomas, head of tuberculosis surveillance for Public Health England, said: "Sustained reductions in tuberculosis, particularly amongst the most vulnerable groups, will require the social and economic determinants of the disease to be addressed, in addition to the provision of strong and effective public health and clinical services."

Worldwide, it is estimated that one-third of the world's population is infected with latent tuberculosis, with ten percent of these cases likely to become active at some point.