Children may have been exposed to infectious disease tuberculosis for more than two months at a nursery.
Parents yesterday asked why Public Health England (PHE) waited more than 10 days to warn them someone had TB while attending the Roundabout Nursery in Brighton.
The patient was unknowingly infected as they visited the Brighton and Hove City Council-run playgroup in Whitehawk Road which looks after up to 86 children aged between three months and five years old.
PHE learned someone at the nursery had been diagnosed with TB at the end of the day on May 1 and proceeded to carry out a detailed risk assessment before sending warning letters to parents on May 12.
In response to parents’ concerns of the time it took to be told, a spokeswoman said such risk assessments can be a lengthy process.
Mother-of-two Kim Leggett said: “It’s made me really angry they knew ages ago but didn’t tell us.
“There wasn’t enough information on the letter they sent us.
“They should have got someone to talk to us about it in person.” Miss Leggett, of Eastern Road, Brighton, said she wants to remove her two-year-old daughter Jamie-Lee from the nursery but has to work and has no other care options.
Mother-of-two Becca Graves, 25, of Maresfield Road, Brighton, uses the children’s centre next door and was also worried about cross-contamination.
She said: “I don’t want to take the risk so am considering taking my children out of the children’s centre for a while.”
A 35-year-old father from St Catherine’s Road was on holiday with his wife and four-year-old daughter when he got a text message from the nursery telling him to read an urgent letter.
He said: “I rang for more information but was told I couldn’t get this over the phone and to read the letter.
“I was really panicked by it.”
Since being diagnosed the individual with TB is thought to be responding well to treatment.
Staff and children are being offered screening as a precaution but PHE has urged there is no cause for concern.
A preliminary round of screening has taken place and another test is due to take place in June.
Parents have been told whether their children have a low or high risk of contracting the disease.
Mike Mandelbaum, chief executive of Brighton-based charity TB Alert, said the disease was “relatively uncommon” in children in the UK but “even one case is one case too many”.
A PHE spokeswoman said a “detailed investigation as part of a risk assessment” was carried out before parents were told and the body followed national guidance in deciding not to close the nursery.
She said no more detail can be released because of patient confidentiality.
A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council added: “All the actions of the nursery have been based on the expert advice and guidance provided by a team of health authorities.
“All GPs, including out of hours services, have been notified and if a child is unwell parents should contact a GP.”
Background
Public Health England learned someone at the Roundabout nursery had been diagnosed with TB at the end of the day on May 1 and proceeded to carry out a detailed risk assessment.
It sent out a letter which told parents the risk of contracting the disease was low on Tuesday but recommended all children and staff were screened as a precaution. Parents received the letter on Wednesday.
It said: “No further action is needed for your child at present unless they are particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases.”
A copy seen by The Argus did not provide details of symptoms. It did include contact numbers for Public Health England and a specialist TB nurse with restricted times over the following days of when to call.
Public Health England: ‘ The risk to children is low’
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.
It is usually transmitted when a person with an infection in the lung has close and sustained contact with others when they cough and sneeze. The infection can be spread, but only some people with TB in the lungs are infectious to others. Symptoms can include fever and night sweats, persistent coughing, losing weight, and blood in sputum.
A skin test is one way of getting a diagnosis.
Public Health England said it is completely treatable with antibiotics among other measures.
Rachel Cloke, a health protection consultant, said: “The risk to anyone in the nursery is very low.
“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 or treatment to prevent the disease from developing in later life.”
Mike Mandelbaum, chief executive of charity of TB Alert, added: “The most effective way to prevent harm from TB is for people to be diagnosed and treated quickly.”
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