Bedfordshire a TB blackspot in the East
Published Date:
05 December 2008
More cases of tuberculosis were reported per head of population in Bedfordshire last year than anywhere else in the East of England.
The county recorded 30 per cent of all known cases across the region, with 18.6 patients per 100,000 population.
Figures released by the Health Protection Agency showed a 16 per cent drop in TB cases across the East as a whole, however, from 448 cases in 2006 to 377 in 2007.
Dr Mike Lilley said: "Reports of TB in our region have now fallen for the second successive year, and the efforts to control and accelerate this downward trend throughout health services must be maintained.
"However, the reported data should be treated with caution as there were large decreases in some areas, which may indicate incomplete reporting.
"It's important we look at these figures over a longer period to see if this really is a slowdown of the increase we've seen over the last few decades."
The majority of cases occurred in young adults aged 15 to 34 years, and men over 75.
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Last Updated:
05 December 2008 10:28 AM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Bedford
