TUBERCULOSIS IN THE UK

Tuberculosis In The UK

Tuberculosis In The UK

Introduction

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by an infection with the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis.During the 19th century, up to 25 per cent of deaths in Europe were caused by this disease. The death toll began to fall as living standards improved at the start of the 20th century, and from the 1940s, effective medicines were developed. However, there are now more people in the world with TB than there were in 1950, and 3 million individuals will die this year from this disease - mainly in less developed countries. The disease is more common in areas of the world where poverty, malnutrition, poor general health and social disruption are present. In the UK, too, the number of TB cases is again rising. Alcoholics, HIV-positive individuals, some recent immigrants and healthcare workers are at increased risk.The disease is most commonly found in places such as hostels for the homeless, prisons, and centres for immigrants arriving from areas with high rates of HIV infection or inadequate health provision.

Significance of the Issue

TB is common in developing countries and parts of Eastern Europe. It causes more deaths worldwide than any other infectious disease (about three million per year). The main factors contributing to TB in the developing world are: poor nutrition, poor housing, poor general health, insufficient healthcare and AIDS (TB is common in people with AIDS). In the UK, active TB was common in the nineteenth century (the old 'consumption'). Better living conditions, better nutrition, immunisation and effective treatments in the twentieth century all combined to make TB uncommon. The number of people with active TB was at an all time low in the UK in the early 1980s. Since then the number of cases has increased. This is probably due to a combination of factors. These include: an increase in poverty, the ageing population, immigration from areas where TB is common, more people travelling to areas in the world where TB is common, and AIDS. Currently in the UK, about 8,500 new cases of TB are diagnosed per year (about 1 in 7,000 people). Rates of TB vary in different parts of the UK, with some London boroughs having very high rates(Syed et al 2006 pp.624-627.).

Action taken

It is thought that between 70-80% of people who are given the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine are protected against TB. However, BCG vaccinations are not routinely given as part of the childhood immunisation schedule, unless a baby is thought to have an increased risk of coming into contact with TB compared to the general population. For example, babies born in areas of inner-city London, where TB rates are higher than in the rest of the country, will probably be given the BCG vaccination.Vaccinations may also be recommended for people who have an increased risk of developing a TB infection; for example, health workers, people who have recently arrived from countries with high levels of TB and people who have come into close contact with somebody infected ...