While it is very treatable these days, the ‘world’s deadliest infection’ is one of those terrifying old diseases with a deadly history which we’ve never quite managed to get rid of.
Although the number of cases are low, with only a few thousand people being diagnosed with it in England each year, figures have risen back to levels comparative to before the coronavirus pandemic.
A report released yesterday (24 March) said that across Europe there was a ‘disturbing wake-up call’ in the worryingly high rate of tuberculosis (TB) cases among children in particular.
Treatment success rates are also below the 90 percent target the World Health Organisation (WHO) has set, and there are worries about ‘the rise of drug-resistant TB’ which has an even lower success rate when it comes to successful treatment.
When most people think of tuberculosis they’d think of it being a disease which primarily affects the lungs and would be correct in that thought, but it’s a disease which can spread to other parts of the body and trigger other symptoms too.
