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Positive TB exposure in children

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/s...st/7297692.stm

One pupil at the school has gone on to develop the infection

A total of 20 children at a primary school in Glasgow have tested positive for exposure to tuberculosis (TB).

The news comes weeks after a teacher at the school, Notre Dame Primary in Dowanhill, became ill with the disease.

One child appears to have developed the infection, although public health consultants said this may or may not be linked to the teacher's case.

The health experts said TB exposure was not uncommon and said none of the children were giving cause for concern.

Doctors have been seeking to reassure parents.

It is important to stress that positive skin test reactions are not unusual when screening a large number of people Dr Oliver Blatchford NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

After one of the teachers became ill with TB over Christmas, all 400 pupils were screened, with 20 showing signs of infection.

Antibiotics have been prescribed to the child who has the infection who is being treated at home and is expected to make a full recovery.

The majority of people exposed to the TB bacteria do not develop the full disease and are therefore not a risk to others.

However, as a precautionary measure some of the children have been given a shorter course of antibiotics to prevent the TB bacteria from developing into the full TB disease in later life.

Different sources

Dr Oliver Blatchford, consultant in public health medicine at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: "It is important to stress that positive skin test reactions are not unusual when screening a large number of people and we expected to see a number of positive skin test results.

"One of the problems of TB is that many people have had exposure to TB bacteria, often from different sources, however most do not develop full TB disease.

"Amongst the normal population in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, around 4% of people have had some degree of exposure to TB bacteria in the community.

"Despite this level of exposure, only around 200 people each year develop a full TB disease in the area."

He added that under the circumstances, the screening programme at the school was likely to uncover some pupils who had been exposed to the bacteria at some point in their lives.

TB is an infection caused by a germ, which usually affects the lungs but can also develop in other parts of the body, such as the kidney or glands.