CHILDREN and staff at a nursery are being tested for tuberculosis after one case of the disease was confirmed. 

The patient was unknowingly infected with TB for several months while attending the Roundabout Nursery in Whitehawk Road, Brighton. They are now recovering.

Public Health England (PHE) said staff and children are being offered screening as a precaution and are urging that there is no cause for alarm.

A spokeswoman for Public Health England said: "PHE is working with the local NHS, Brighton and Hove City Council and a local nursery in response to a case of TB recently diagnosed in a member of the nursery community.

"Children and staff at Roundabout Nursery in Brighton were potentially exposed during a period of a few months when the case was unaware they had TB infection or that it could be passed to others.  The person has commenced treatment and is recovering.

"Public Health England South East is following national guidance which includes offering screening for those identified as being ‘close contacts.’ 

"The risk of catching TB in this way is very small but as a precaution, all staff and children who attend the nursery will be offered screening. Following the risk assessment, it is necessary to rescreen a number of the children in six weeks time to avoid the risk of a ‘false negative’ which can result from testing too early."

Rachel Cloke, a consultant in health protection, said: “The risk to anyone in the nursery is very low and the offer of screening is as a precaution. A positive result on screening does not mean the person has the disease but it may mean they have been infected with the TB germ and may need further investigation and/or treatment in order to prevent the disease from developing in later life.”

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What is TB and how can you catch it?

Tuberculosis, or TB, is a disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB usually affects the lungs, but can affect other parts of the body. Infection does not necessarily develop into active, clinically apparent TB disease.

TB is completely treatable. It is usually transmitted when a person with infection in the lung has close and sustained contact with others (i.e. household members), as when they cough, sneeze etc. the infection can be spread. But only some people with TB in the lungs are infectious to other people. Such cases are called ‘sputum smear positive’ (or "open"). Even then, close and prolonged contact is needed to be at risk of being infected.

Sputum smear positive cases stop being infectious generally after two weeks of effective treatment.
TB is treated with a combination of antibiotics and treatment for active disease usually lasts six months. TB disease develops slowly in the body and it usually takes several months for symptoms to appear.

People who may have been in contact with an infectious case of TB can be tested using a skin test called the Mantoux test which is the standard test for contact testing or blood test. A positive result could indicate presence of the infection but does not mean the person has active disease. Antibiotics will prevent the infection from developing into active disease later in life. A positive result will require further investigations, often including a chest X-ray.

Newer blood tests called Interferon-Gamma tests are also available which can be used as well as the skin test.

Tests are unreliable if performed too early. As the infection develops very slowly, testing is usually performed about six weeks from the date of exposure to avoid ‘false negative’ results.

Any of the following symptoms may suggest TB:

Fever and night sweats
Persistent cough
Losing weight
Blood in sputum