RATES of TB in Manchester have risen for the sixth year running and some areas now have the same level as the Indian capital Delhi.
One third of the world's population is infected with TB and many do not know they are incubating the disease. In Longsight alone, the rate of 110 cases per 100,000 people equals that in Delhi.
This equated to about 20 cases in Longsight last year - in Delhi the figure would be nearer 11,000 due to the huge population-size difference.
TB commonly affects the lungs, but can hit other parts of the body including the lymph nodes, bones, joints and kidneys. It can also cause meningitis.
Staff in the TB Unit at Manchester Royal Infirmary's department of respiratory medicine are fighting back with new ways of treating patients.
The hospital employs three specially trained nurse practitioners, who are involved on a one-to-one basis with patients and their families.
The disease, traditionally associated with developing countries, is difficult to treat and involves long-term medication to ensure patients are cured completely.
Once the condition has been diagnosed, the nurses give out advice on the telephone and visit patients in their homes to ensure the appropriate medication is being taken.
Treatment can involve up to 12 tablets being taken daily for at least six months and patients often report unpleasant side-effects.
If patients stop treatment because they start to feel better, there may still be bacteria present which becomes resistant to future antibiotics.
Christine Bell, a TB specialist nurse at the MRI, said: "In Manchester we see an extremely high number of patients with TB, and this has allowed us to develop a high level of service to our patients and their families.
"Since we have taken over the contacting and screening work from Public Health we are also responsible for many more patients from across the Greater Manchester area.
"Our system ensures that patients are treated, and that they have our full support in accessing the most effective treatment."