Leicester has highest TB rate in country, data shows

Leicester has the highest rate of tuberculosis (TB) in England across a three-year period, new data has revealed.

In the Leicester city local authority district, there were 40.7 reported cases per 100,000 population in the three years up to 2023, compared to an average across England of 8.5.

In 2023, there were 164 reports of TB cases in Leicester, up from 140 on the previous year.

The UKHSA said an increase in cases was seen in both people born in the UK and those who were not, with 80% of all notified cases in 2023 coming from non-UK born people.

Statistics published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on Thursday show nationwide TB reports increased by 11% last year, from 4,380 in 2022 to 4,855 in 2023.

The most common countries where non-UK born TB cases came from were India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Romania, the agency added.

Deborah Watson, TB lead and consultant in public health at UKHSA East Midlands, said: "If you have moved to England in the last five years from a country where TB is more common, please be aware of the symptoms of TB so you can get tested and treated through your GP surgery.

"Not every persistent cough, along with a fever, is caused by flu or Covid-19."

Symptoms of TB include:

• A cough that lasts more than three weeks
• High temperature
• Drenching night sweats
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss

It can be treated with a long course of antibiotics but can be serious, particularly if not treated, the UKHSA said.

Rob Howard, director of public health at Leicester City Council, said: "TB bacteria can lie dormant in the body for many years – something known as latent TB - without making you sick."

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