AN East Midlands health group is urging people to be aware of the signs of TB as part of a campaign for world tuberculosis day today.
According to the latest figures available, there were 546 cases of TB diagnosed in the East Midlands in 2009.
The East Midlands branch of the Health Protection Agency (HPA) wants to challenge the myths surrounding the condition – including that it was eradicated.
The disease was never eradicated but when antibiotics were introduced it was assumed it would disappear.
Dr Philip Monk, TB lead for the HPA in the East Midlands, said: "TB is a preventable and treatable condition but if left untreated it can be life threatening.
"Various myths still exist about TB. It's not usually caught by simply sitting next to an infected person.
"This bug needs close contact for at least 8 hours in order to spread from person to person, usually a household contact.
"It also develops very slowly inside the body and it takes some time for a person to become infectious. Only about a quarter of TB cases in the UK are potentially infectious to others so the majority of cases present little or no risk to others."
Symptoms of TB include fever and night sweats, persistent cough and losing weight.
Poverty, overcrowding and poor nutrition all contribute to the diseases, and as international travel has increased, the prevalence of TB has also risen.
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