NHS raises awareness of World TB Day

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Community Health

With World TB Day today on 24 March, Liverpool Community Health (LCH) NHS Trust’s TB Service is raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of this disease.

​These days with highly effective antibiotics patients with TB can be successfully cured and the treatment is completely free.​

Jenny Walker, TB Nurse at LCH, commented: “TB is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis; it most commonly affects the lungs, but it can affect almost any part of the body. It is only infectious when it is in the lungs or the throat.”

Jenny continues: “It is difficult to catch TB. TB is spread through the air when a person with infectious TB coughs; however, a person has to have prolonged and close contact with an infectious person to be at any risk. This would usually be someone living in the same household.”​

The most common signs and symptoms to look out for are:​

• Persistent cough that lasts more than 3 weeks
• Coughing up blood
• Poor appetite and/or weight loss
• Heavy night sweats
• Fever
• Feeling generally unwell and tired​

In 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that there were 1.4 million TB deaths worldwide, which included 0.43 million HIV positive individuals and 64,000 children. Latest statistics on death caused by TB in the UK show an overall decline in TB mortality over the last 10 years. In 2013, around 8,000 cases of TB were reported in the UK.

While the decline in TB mortality is encouraging, the number of patients who still die from this disease remains significant, and we need to maintain our vigilance and continue strengthening TB control through early diagnosis and improve treatment outcome in the UK.

The TB Service provides care to patients who are registered with GP’S in Liverpool, South Sefton, Southport & Formby, Knowsley, Halton & St Helen’s, and is a community based service. They provide care via home visiting, in various community clinic settings and via close liaison with local acute hospitals.

If you or someone you know is worried about TB, talk to your GP or nurse at your local surgery or contact the TB Service for advice on 0151 295 3874.