Hundreds tested for TB at Lincolnshire primary school

• 3 hours ago
• From the section Lincolnshire

Image copyright Thinkstock

Image caption TB can cause persistent coughing, weight loss and tiredness

Hundreds of pupils at a Lincolnshire primary school are being tested for tuberculosis after it was confirmed two children had the disease.

Mablethorpe Primary has also cancelled some Christmas activities, even though the risks of it spreading are low.
Public Health England said two pupils had active TB and a further three had a latent form of the disease.
Tuberculosis, which can cause fever and coughing, is easily treated with antibiotics.
The school, which is an academy and has a total of 325 pupils, has decided to cancel group productions until the spring as a precaution.

A Public Health England (PHE) spokesman said there was a "low prevalence of TB" in Lincolnshire, with 26 cases in 2013 out of a total of 371 cases in the East Midlands. In 2014 the number increased to 31 cases.
"We are fortunate to have low numbers of TB cases in Lincolnshire and we are working closely with the school to provide a safe environment," a PHE statement said.

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TB symptoms

 

Image copyright Science Photo Library

• TB symptoms include persistent coughing, weight loss and tiredness
• Two billion people worldwide are thought to have latent TB infection, but many will never develop active TB unless their immune system is compromised
• TB patients must take antibiotics daily for six months
• Those with drug-resistant strains are prescribed an average of 19 pills a day - 14,000 altogether
• The illness can cause nerve damage, kidney and liver impairment, and loss of sight or hearing

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A letter, from school principal Catherine Teale, said: "As a precaution, we have decided to postpone activities which involve large groups of people gathering together in an enclosed space.
"Unfortunately, this means that the productions and join-in activities planned for this term will be postponed until the spring."
The principal said the cancellation was made even though the risks of the TB spreading was "minimal".
TB is more prevalent in urban areas such as London and Leicester, where it is often found in people born in countries where TB is more common, mostly South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Statistics from Public Health England show a decline in the number of TB cases in England in the past three years.

ANAΔΗΜΟΣΙΕΥΣΗ ΑΠΟ ΤΟ ΒΒC HEALTH NEWS 7/12/2015