The rate of TB in foreign-born persons living in Ireland is four times the rate in the indigenous population, according to latest figures.

In 2013, the notification rate for TB in the indigenous population was 5.5 per 100,000 while the rate in foreign born persons living in Ireland was 22.2 per 100,000, according to HSE figures.

Provisional figures for 2013 show there were 384 cases of TB reported in Ireland, an overall rate of 8.4 per 100,000.

According to the HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), this is the second lowest annual notification rate in Ireland since TB surveillance began in 1998. However, it is slightly higher than the 2012 rate of 7.9 per 100,000 cases.

In 2013, 53.6% of cases of TB were in people born in Ireland and 44.3% were born outside Ireland.

According to the HPSC, while great strides have been made in controlling and curing TB, much more needs to be done to eliminate the disease.

Nowadays, TB is usually completely curable with antibiotics.

In Ireland, the BCG vaccine against TB is recommended for newborn babies.

It is also recommended for those aged one-15 years whose TB skin test is negative and who have had no previous BCG. The vaccine is also given to adults who are considered to be at risk of developing TB where potential contact with the disease could occur or has occurred.

BCG vaccine is regarded as very effective, particularly in preventing childhood TB and the more severe forms of TB.

TB remains an epidemic in many parts of the world, causing the deaths of nearly 1.5 million people each year, mostly in developing countries, according to the HPSC,

The World Health Organization aims to eliminate TB as a global health problem by 2050.

TB incidence has declined considerably in Ireland in the past 50 years, with 7,000 cases of the disease notified annually in the early 1950s, dropping to 604 cases by 1992.

Next Monday, March 24 is World TB Day.

Find out more about TB here

See also our Child Immunisation Tracker