Tuberculosis, a disease of the 19th century in the western world, is an increasing threat to the 21st, experts said yesterday as fresh figures were published showing the biggest annual rise in cases in the UK since 1999.
Between 2004 and 2005, there was a 10.8% rise in TB cases, the Health Protection Agency said, from 7,321 to 8,113. While London had by far the most cases - 3,479 - the biggest numbers of new cases were in the north-west, east Midlands and the east of England.
"These figures are a dramatic demonstration that action to control TB must step up a gear," said John Moore-Gillon, chairman of the British Thoracic Society's joint TB committee and president of the British Lung Foundation.
"There have to be national initiatives of real substance, as well as a strong lead from the Department of Health about what health care planners must provide in terms of resources at local level."
Paul Sommerfeld, chairman of TB Alert, added: "These figures underline the need to fully fund TB services in all risk areas of the country."
Tuberculosis is preventable and treatable, but the rapid rise in cases, together with news of the spread of drug-resistant varieties elsewhere in the world, is causing anxiety among health professionals. "An increase of this magnitude over the course of one year is a concern," said Peter Borriello, director of the centre for infections at the HPA.
TB is usually spread when somebody with the infection coughs or sneezes. It usually affects the lungs, but sometimes other parts of the body.
The symptoms include fever and night sweats, a persistent cough, losing weight and coughing or spitting blood.
There had been an increased effort to tackle TB since 2004, when the chief medical officer published his national action plan, said Mr Sommerfeld.
"These new figures show a significant rise in cases in one year and underline the need to fully fund TB services in all risk areas of the country," he added.
"This is a particularly worrying time, given the occurrence worldwide of extensively drug resistant strains (XDR-TB). UK TB services need to be strengthened and not allowed to weaken.
"The largest rise in cases was among people not born in the UK - from 4,696 in 2004 to 5,310 in 2005 - but only 22% of them arrived in the past two years."
