Luton has highest rate of tuberculosis in the East of England

Health officials have warned the UK is at risk of losing its low incidence tuberculosis status as cases continue to rise.

New local figures from the UK Health Security Agency show 158.1 tuberculosis cases were reported in Luton from 2022 to 2024. It meant there was an average of 52.7 notifications each year.

Overall, the area had an average rate of 22.6 case per 100,000 people – the highest rate in the East of England.

Across the UK, 5,941 notifications of tuberculosis were recorded in 2024, up 13 per cent from 2023.

The overall rate of tuberculosis was 8.6 notifications per 100,000 people, below the World Health Organisation's threshold of 10 per 100,000.

Separate provisional UKHSA figures show 2,735 people have been notified with tuberculosis in the first six months of 2025.

Earlier this year, the UKHSA said the return of social mixing and international travel following the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as changing migration patterns, has led to the "re-emergence, reestablishment and resurgence" of a number of illnesses.

Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, warned tuberculosis "remains a serious public health issue in England".

She said: "This current rate of increase will soon see the UK lose its WHO low incidence status of 10 per 100,000 population."

The recent report also showed 3,888 of the 4,409 (84 per cent) people with drug-sensitive tuberculosis – cases where the infection can be treated with drugs – completed treatment in 2023.

And some 175 (4 per cent) people notified in 2023 and treated for drug-sensitive tuberculosis died.

A testing and treatment programme is in place for people in areas of England with higher rates, or those coming from high-risk countries.

The universal BCG vaccine programme for school-aged children was stopped in 2005 and replaced by a targeted programme for babies and children at risk of exposure to the disease.