Addressing the phenomenal rise of tuberculosis in the UK

It is estimated that any one time, up to a third of the world's population is infected with tuberculosis (TB).¹ In 2012, an estimated 8.6 million people developed TB, with 1.3 million people dying from the disease.¹ The disease is more common in regions of the world where poverty, malnutrition, HIV and a lack of social and health infrastructures are present. TB is a curable and preventable disease, yet no country in the world has eradicated it and it remains a major global health problem.

This article gives a brief description of TB epidemiology in the UK and pathogenesis, transmission and treatment. The article focuses on the different forms of TB, highlighting high-risk groups, and how nurses can enhance their public health role in accessing TB updates, instigating prompt referral, and investigations, particularly for pulmonary TB.