An outbreak at an Amazon factory in the Midlands comes as TB infections have been rising in England in recent years, including in Greater Manchester.
The map showing the prevalence of TB cases across the country(Image: )
A new map has revealed the parts of Greater Manchester with the highest rates of a Victorian superbug – as union bosses demand the closure of an Amazon warehouse after an outbreak of TB.
The GMB union has written to Amazon after multiple cases of tuberculosis were reported at the internet giant’s Coventry site, with NHS staff called in to perform blood tests on workers.
TB – which used to be known as ‘consumption’ – was the scourge of Victorian Britain and caused the deaths of an estimated four million people between 1851 and 1910 in England and Wales. Victorian authors, including Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell, referenced the disease in their work.
The outbreak at the Amazon factory comes as TB infections have been rising in England in recent years, including in Greater Manchester.
Last year, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned that England could lose its “low-incidence” status for TB, which it has held since 2017.
The Amazon depot in Coventry(Image: Coventry Live/Tristan Potter)
According to the latest UKHSA data, there were 5,490 notifications of TB in England in 2024, a 13% increase – or more than 600 additional cases – from 4,831 notifications in 2023, which was itself 11% higher than in 2023.
TB notifications are a statutory requirement for GPs to report suspected or confirmed cases to the National Tuberculosis Surveillance System.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies countries with a threshold of 10 TB cases per 100,000 people as “low-incidence”. England now has a rate of 9.4 notifications per 100,000 people, just below the low-incidence threshold and up from 8.5 per 100,000 people in 2023.
However, in parts of Greater Manchester, the rate is far higher, with four council areas exceeding the WHO low-incidence threshold.UKHSA figures show that in the three years to 2024, an average of 364 people were notified of a TB infection annually across Greater Manchester.
Manchester has the highest TB rate, with an average of 147 people with either a suspected or confirmed case of TB each year.That equates to a rate of 25.7 TB notifications per 100,000 people, more than double the low-incidence threshold. It has also increased from 22.7 in 2023.
The TB rate is also above the low-incidence threshold in Bolton (16.9), Oldham (14.9), and Salford (11.3).
You can see how it compares to where you live using our interactive map
Worldwide, TB killed an estimated 1.23 million people in 2024, making it the leading cause of death from a single infectious disease, and one of the top 10 biggest causes of death overall.
In England last year, 82% of TB notifications were in people born outside the UK, but there was an increase in both UK-born and non UK-born populations.
TB continues to be associated with deprivation, and the infection is more common in large urban areas. For those born in the UK, TB is more common among those who experience homelessness, drug and alcohol dependence and have had contact with the criminal justice system.
Amazon confirmed that a “small number” of people at its Coventry fulfilment centre tested positive for TB last year. It says those workers responded well to treatment, are no longer infectious, and that no new cases have been identified.
‘The overall risk remains low’
Amazon says it is following guidance from the UKHSA and the NHS and its site continues to run as normal.
However, Amada Gearing, the GMB union’s Senior Organiser, said: “Currently, Amazon is putting all workers, site visitors, and the local and wider communities at risk of exposure to a serious infectious disease.
“Coventry Amazon risks becoming the engine room of a mass TB outbreak of a scale not seen for decades. Immediate and decisive action – including the temporary closure of Amazon Coventry – is required to prevent this.”
A spokesperson for Amazon said: “Last year, a small number of people who work at our Coventry fulfilment centre tested positive for TB. In line with best practice safety procedures, we immediately followed guidance from the NHS and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and made all employees potentially affected aware of the situation.
“Those affected by TB responded well to treatment and are no longer infectious, posing no onward risk. As a precaution, we are running an expanded screening programme with the NHS this month.
“To date, no additional cases have been identified, and our site continues to run as normal. We will continue to follow guidance from the experts at UKHSA and the NHS, who are monitoring the situation, and would respectfully remind public organisations of the need for responsible communications where matters of public wellbeing are concerned.”
Dr Roger Gajraj, Consultant in Health Protection with UKHSA West Midlands, said: “The small number of individuals affected by tuberculosis (TB) are responding well to treatment and are no longer infectious, so pose no onward risk.
“As a precaution, and in line with national guidance, we are offering testing to those who may have had closer contact with the affected individuals. The overall risk remains low. TB is fully treatable with antibiotics. We continue to work closely with Amazon to monitor the situation.”