Tuberculosis, a serious lung infection called “Victorian disease” that kills one in six infected people and can cause coughing up blood, is on the rise in England.

According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) report, official data shows cases increased by 11 percent to 5,000 by the end of last year.

This means around one in 25,000 people in England have the infection, while in London it is almost one in 5,000 people.

Four in five new cases were in people born outside the UK, the highest proportion since 2000.

People originally from India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Romania were the largest non-British-born group among tuberculosis patients.

Health authorities are now urging people with potential tuberculosis symptoms not to dismiss the signs, which include a persistent cough that can easily be confused with common winter infections such as the common cold or flu.

Their warning comes as separate NHS data shows a 350 per cent rise in flu cases in hospitals in England as part of a “quad-demic”, with norovirus levels also rising by 86 per cent and a surge in Covid and RSV .

Dr. Esther Robinson, head of the UKHSA’s tuberculosis unit, urged people not to dismiss potential tuberculosis symptoms, particularly if they have recently arrived in the UK.

“TB is curable and preventable, but the disease remains a serious public health problem in England,” she said.

“If you have moved to England from a country where tuberculosis is more common, please be aware of the symptoms of tuberculosis so that you can be tested and treated promptly by your GP.”

“This time of year, flu and other winter viruses are on the rise, but it is important to remember that not every persistent cough that is accompanied by a fever is caused by flu or COVID-19.” A cough that is usually mucous and lasts more than three Lasting weeks, it can be caused by a number of other problems, including tuberculosis. Please speak to your GP if you think you may be at risk.”

Last year’s rise in tuberculosis marks a worrying turnaround in tuberculosis cases in the UK.

Cases peaked at over 8,000 in 2011 but fell to just over 4,000 in 2020, the year of the Covid pandemic. However, cases have since increased compared to the previous year.

Worryingly, there has been an increase in the proportion of tuberculosis cases with strains that are resistant to the drugs commonly used to treat it.

In 2022, about one in 100 cases of tuberculosis involved drug-resistant strains. Last year that number rose to over one in 50.

Possible symptoms of tuberculosis include a cough that lasts more than three weeks and produces blood, high fever, night sweats, loss of appetite, and unexplained weight loss.

While the UK requires a tuberculosis test for immigrants from countries where the infection is more common, this can remain inactive and undetectable.

Earlier this year World Health Organization (WHO) chiefs warned of a global rise in tuberculosis, with a record 8.2 million cases last year.

Tuberculosis is treated with antibiotics and is therefore rarely fatal in countries such as the UK. However, it is estimated that one in six infected people worldwide die from it, with deaths typically occurring years after infection.

Tuberculosis is spread by infected people coughing and sneezing and most commonly occurs in the lungs, but it can also spread to other parts of the body.

However, some studies have shown that it can also be transmitted passively by infected people who simply breathe, even if they do not show symptoms.

Early symptoms include cough, fever, night sweats and weight loss.

But a severe tuberculosis infection can be fatal by destroying organs from the inside and causing them to bleed and fill with fluid.

Tuberculosis is particularly dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, such as those undergoing chemotherapy, but also for people who are generally more at risk, such as young children and the elderly.

A vaccine called the BCG vaccine protects people from contracting tuberculosis, but is only given to people who are at higher risk of infection.