The prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) has increased dramatically around the world over the past decade.With population mobility on a scale never seen before, major cities in the UK and other relatively prosperous countries are reflecting the trends of disease in the wider world. In addition, there has been an increase in TB in some groups within the UK population and an increase in the dispersal of immigrants and asylum seekers to parts of the country that historically have had little experience of such populations. As a consequence, most GPs, wherever they practise, are more likely to see a case of TB in the next year than at any time in their past career. Nearly 8,200 cases of TB were reported in England, Northern Ireland and Wales in 2006. London accounted for the highest proportion of cases (42%) and the Midlands the second highest (12%). In 2005, TB was responsible for 357 deaths in the UK.