Scores of people in Bristol and the surrounding are diagnosed annually with a Dickensian superbug that killed an estimated four million people in Victorian Britain and caused more deaths globally than Covid-19 last year.
New data published by the UK Health Security Agency shows that over the last three years, an average of 62 people have been diagnosed with Tuberculosis (TB) annually in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset. It comes as national figures show an 11% rise in TB notifications in England in 2023, increasing from 4,380 the previous year to 4,855.
Provisional data for the first three quarters of 2024 shows that the disease continues to rise, by 14% compared to the same period in 2023. This means England has fallen further behind in achieving the World Health Organisation’s TB elimination target, set in 2015, of a 90% reduction in cases by 2035.
Despite the rise in infections, England remains a low-incidence country for TB, with a rate of 8.5 notifications per 100,000 people. However, in some parts of the nation, the rate is far higher.
Between 2021 and 2023, Bristol had an average of 42 TB diagnoses annually, far more than South Gloucestershire (12) and North Somerset (eight). Bristol also has the highest infection rate when compared to the size of the population, meaning that people living in Bristol are more likely to be diagnosed with TB.
Over the last three years, Bristol’s population has received an average of 8.8 TB notifications per 100,000.
That was higher than the national average and more than double the rate in South Gloucestershire (4.0 per 100,000 population), and in North Somerset (3.5). You can see how it compares to where you live using our interactive map.
TB – which used to be known as “consumption” – caused the deaths of an estimated four million people between 1851 and 1910 in England and Wales. It was the scourge of the 18th and 19th centuries and featured heavily in the literature of the time, with authors Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Samuel Richardson all referencing the disease.
Worldwide, TB killed an estimated 1.25 million people died in 2023, making it the leading infectious disease killer in the world, surpassing Covid-19. The majority of cases in England last year (80%) were seen in people born overseas, particularly in India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Romania, although there was also an increase in infections in the UK-born population.
There was also a rise in drug-resistant infections that require longer and more complex treatment. TB is associated with deprivation and is more common in large urban areas.
Among those who were born in Britain, TB is more common among people who experience homelessness, and drug and alcohol dependency. Dr Esther Robinson, Head of the TB Unit at UKHSA, said: “TB is curable and preventable, but the disease remains a serious public health issue in England.
“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 three 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 a serious long-term condition, but it is now curable. It usually affects the lungs but can spread to other parts of the body, such as your glands, bones, and brain. Symptoms include a chronic cough, fever, chills, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, and coughing up blood.
See a GP if you’ve had a cough for more than three weeks if you’re tired and not sure why, have a high temperature or night sweats that don’t go away, or have lost weight without changing your diet or exercise routine, or if you’ve spent a lot of time with someone who has TB. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if you cough up blood.