The 6 little-known signs of TB you need to know amid ‘resurgence’ of nasty Victorian disease
It’s rather typical to have the flu or have a persistent cough throughout the winter months.
But authorities have warned Britons to be aware of the symptoms of tuberculosis (TB), a deadly Victorian disease that is on the rise in England.
For the first time in decades, tuberculosis (TB), one of the most contagious and deadly illnesses in human history, is beginning to spread over the world.
According to the UK Health Security Agency’s most recent data, the number of instances increased by almost 11% last year, from 4380 in 2022 to 4855 in 2023.
The extremely contagious virus is currently being referred to as a “serious public health issue in England” by health officials.
With 18.7 instances per 100,000 residents, London has the highest infection rates in the UK, according to the UKHSA report.
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Additionally, it discovered that in 2023, the number of instances rose among both UK-born and non-UK-born populations.
However, 80% of all instances were people who were not born in the UK, and the bulk of them were from nations like India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Romania where tuberculosis is more common.
If left untreated, tuberculosis can be deadly.
Although it usually affects the lungs, it can also damage the stomach, bones, glands, and nervous system.
The illness’s symptoms could be mistaken for a cold or the flu, according to medical professionals, who advised anyone experiencing a prolonged cough and fever to consult a general practitioner.
As previously stated by Dr. Esther Robinson, head of the TB unit at UKHSA, not all chronic coughs accompanied by fevers are brought on by the flu or COVID-19.
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She described ways to identify a cough that might be TB-related: “A cough that usually has mucus and lasts longer than three weeks can be caused by a range of other issues, including TB.”
Moreover, she advised anyone exhibiting any of the following symptoms to consult a doctor.
The 6 signs of TB to know
The NHS states that the following are signs of tuberculosis:
- A persistent cough that lasts more than three weeks and usually brings up phlegm, which may be bloody
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- A high temperature and night sweats
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Feeling generally unwell
However, you can also experience other symptoms if TB spreads to other areas of your body, like your brain, bones, or lymph nodes, such as:
- Swollen glands
- Body aches and pains
- Swollen joints or ankles
- Tummy or pelvic pain
- Constipation
- Dark or cloudy pee
- A headache
- Being sick
- Feeling confused
- A stiff neck
- A rash on the legs, face or other part of the body
Latent TB is the term for TB that can exist in your body but not cause any symptoms.
Active tuberculosis is what you have if you have symptoms.
Close contact with someone who has the disease, travel to nations where tuberculosis is prevalent, homelessness, drug addiction, a compromised immune system, or incarceration all increase a person’s risk of contracting the illness.
A global threat
In 2022, 7.5 million persons worldwide had a TB diagnosis, the greatest number ever noted.
During COVID lockdowns, many patients were unable to receive treatment or a diagnosis, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Drug-resistant TB cases rose by 3% between 2020 and 2021, according to a different report.
The illness may surpass COVID as a hazard to the United Kingdom, according to experts.
It is “inevitable TB will be the most deadly infectious disease in the world again,” according to Professor Robert Wilkinson, who is working to discover a solution for the illness.
In 2005, the NHS discontinued providing children with the BCG vaccine to prevent tuberculosis, and it currently only protects children who visit nations with high rates of tuberculosis.
The professor from London’s Francis Crick Institute told the Mirror earlier this year that “the proportion of resistant TB is gradually increasing everywhere and that is a problem in Europe too.”
Cases of the fatal infection have, up until now, declined by roughly 2% annually for the majority of the previous 20 years.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that TB killed around 1.6 million people in 2021, making it the second most common infectious disease after COVID-19.
During COVID lockdowns, many people were unable to receive therapy or a diagnosis.
To exacerbate the situation, the survey found that between 2020 and 2021, the number of drug-resistant TB cases rose by 3%.
Following an outbreak at a Welsh university in July 2022, British citizens were warned to be alert for any indications of the fatal Victorian sickness.
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Eight months after having close contact with a person who passed away from the sickness, three pupils on a university campus tested positive for the condition.
Since the start of COVID, the prevalence of diseases like mumps, measles, and scarlet fever has significantly increased.
How can I protect myself against TB?
The BCG vaccine is a vaccination that can prevent TB.
It is administered in childhood and is currently the most popular vaccination in the world.
In the UK, it is no longer available to secondary school students; instead, it is only available to young children who are seen to be the most vulnerable.
The following groups are advised to use it by the NHS:
- Babies who live in areas of the UK where TB is more common
- Babies and children who live with someone who has TB
- Babies and children who were born or lived in a country where TB is more common
- Babies and children whose parents or grandparents were born in a country where TB is more common
- People aged 35 and under who are spending more than 3 months in a country where TB is more common
- People at risk of getting TB through their work, such as healthcare workers who work with people who have TB
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