A WARNING a Victorian disease could return due to Covid has been issued by health chiefs.
Tuberculosis cases have been creeping up in recent years – rising seven per cent last year.
The disease can be fatal if untreated, with an expert warning it “remains a serious public health issue in the UK”.
England had the highest rates of TB in western Europe in 2011, but since then cases had fallen.
However due to so much focus on Covid, and people not seeking treatment for illness in the pandemic, the rates have gone up again.
The UK Health Security Agency today warned anyone with a cough that has lingered for more than three weeks to seek help.
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Brits should not dismiss a new cough as Covid, unless they are certain, as TB could also cause this symptom.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Despite significant progress made in the last decade towards eliminating tuberculosis in England, it is very concerning to see an upward trend in cases.
“TB is a serious infectious disease, and without treatment it can be life-threatening.
“TB disproportionately affects people in deprived and underserved groups, so it is vital everyone has access to effective treatment so we can continue to level up health across the nation.
“If you have a persistent cough that lasts more than three weeks along with a fever, please contact your GP as soon as possible to get tested.”
The risk factors for TB include close contact with a person with infectious disease, migration from countries with high rates, homelessness, substance misuse, a weakened immune system and being in prison.
Dr Laura Cleghorn, of the University of Dundee, told the Liverpool Echo: “It will be a few years before the full effect of the pandemic on TB disease burden will be known but there was already an ongoing need for new improved TB therapeutics.
“With the potential increase in cases due to the pandemic there is an even more pressing need for new therapeutics to address what will likely be a clear increase in TB burden and deaths once the Covid-19 pandemic is curtailed.
“When I talk to people about my research, they are surprised that I work on TB because they think of it as a disease of yesteryear because it is not something that is prevalent in the UK and other western countries.”
Symptoms of TB include:
- a persistent cough that lasts more than three weeks and usually brings up phlegm, which may be bloody
- breathlessness that gradually gets worse
- lack of appetite and weight loss
- a high temperature
- night sweats
- extreme tiredness or fatigue
Dr Jenny Harries, CEO of the UKHSA, said: “TB is curable and preventable and now is the time to get our elimination efforts back on track.
“Despite significant progress towards elimination in recent years, tuberculosis remains a serious public health issue in the UK.
“With treatment, most people will make a full recovery, but delayed diagnosis and treatment, particularly during the pandemic, will have increased the number of undetected tuberculosis cases in the country.
“It is important to remember that not every persistent cough, along with a fever, is Covid-19.
“A cough that usually has mucus and lasts longer than three weeks can be caused by a range of other issues, including tuberculosis.
“Tuberculosis develops slowly, and it may take several weeks, months or even years after you were infected before you notice you’re unwell.
“Contact your GP if you think you could be at risk so you can get tested and treated.”
