Urgent warning as deadly Victorian disease ‘to overtake Covid as biggest killer’

TUBERCULOSIS appears to be overtaking Covid as the world’s most deadly infectious disease.

There may soon be more cases of the ancient bacterial condition and related deaths than SARS-CoV-2, experts have warned.

1

In 2021, an estimated 10.5million people fell ill with TB across the globe, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The disease, once called consumption, claimed 1.6m lives.

In the same year, 204m people tested positive for Covid, of which 3.5m died.

While cases rose to 445m in 2022, the number of deaths dropped to 1.2m.

So far in 2023, there have been 34m cases and just 222,000 fatalities.

As TB rates remain stable, it suggests it will leapfrog the virus as the most deadly globally.

Based on annual rates, it means 4,109 people are killed by TB every day, compared to 1,216 from coronavirus.

Experts fear this trend will continue, and hit regions not usually impacted by TB – including the UK.

Before the pandemic, TB rates had been declining for almost two decades across the European Region – which comprises 53 countries.

But data shows the downward trend was broken for the first time.

Some 27,300 died from TB in 2021, compared to 27,000 in 2020.

Russia and Ukraine were the two most affected countries, with around 4,900 and 3,600 deaths respectively.

Health officials now want to see a fresh attempt to tackle the spread and improve treatment.

Prof Wilkinson, of London’s Francis Crick Institute, told The Mirror: “It’s inevitable TB will be the most deadly infectious disease in the world again.

“The proportion of resistant TB is gradually increasing everywhere and that is a problem in Europe too.”

Speaking to Pharmacy ITK, Results International (Australia) CEO Negaya Chorley added: “The progress we were making in reducing TB cases and deaths over the years has been derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic, as TB infections have gone undetected and unmanaged.

“Now, for the first time in more than a decade, TB deaths are on the rise.

“TB could soon reclaim the title of leading cause of death worldwide from a single infectious agent. Yet, the disease is entirely preventable and curable.

“The same global concerted momentum to tackle COVID-19 must be applied to ending TB.

“We need to use all the tools in the toolbox including scaling up prevention, treatment and cure.”

‘SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE’

Vaccination programmes have been scrapped in several countries over the last 20 years.

The BCG jab, administered during childhood, is the most widely used shot globally.

However, it is no longer offered to secondary school kids in the UK.

Instead, the NHS only targets youngsters deemed most at risk.

Further issues arise because immunity does not last beyond the teenage years, and no booster has been developed.

Dr Meera Chand, of the UK Health Security Agency, said: “We are working with the NHS to strengthen prevention, detection and treatment.”

Dr Jenny Harries, CEO, said last year: “TB is curable and preventable and now is the time to get our elimination efforts back on track.

“Despite significant progress towards elimination in recent years, tuberculosis remains a serious public health issue in the UK.”

TB has been around for thousands of years. From 1600 to 1800, it was responsible for around 25 per cent of all deaths in Europe.

It is an airborne disease that spreads through close contact with infected people.

It usually affects the lungs and, if left untreated, can be fatal.

Common symptoms include a persistent cough, exhaustion, a high temperature and weight loss.

Treatment often includes a course of antibiotics, but TB is developing greater resistance.