'Caution' urged as cases decline in city

Mar 21 2008

A DECREASE in cases of TB in Birmingham was welcomed today by the Health Protection Agency.

The agency has released provisional case numbers for last year from across the region, showing that the recent surge in TB is coming under control.

Birmingham showed a slight reduction since 2006 from 413 cases to 379, while Black Country cases rose by ten to 285.

Dr Huda Mohamed, TB lead for the agency in the West Midlands, said: "Even a slight decrease is to be welcomed, but we should treat the figures with caution. We should not assume from provisional data that the trend is downwards.

"It’s very important for people to be knowledgeable about TB, but they should not be nervous or alarmed when cases occur.

"Detection of infectious TB will be helped by better public understanding, which is why we are so keen to raise awareness and explode the myths."

On Monday, World TB Day, an awareness campaign spearheaded by Portuguese football legend Luis Figo aims to remove fears surrounding the condition.