Tuberculosis rates stable but at greatest since 1987

Tuberculosis rates in the United Kingdom have levelled for the first time in 20 years but rates remain at their greatest since 1987, according to figures from the Health Protection Agency published last week.

The agency's annual report on tuberculosis reported 8113 new cases in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland in 2006, which is the same as in 2005. There were 20 more cases in Scotland in 2006 (384 cases) than in 2005, giving a UK-wide figure for 2006 of 8497 cases.

Ibrahim Abubakar, head of the …