Student diagnosed with TB in stable condition

A CORK secondary school student diagnosed with TB was yesterday in a stable condition in hospital.

The third-year student at Glanmire Community College was diagnosed late last week and has since been treated at Cork University Hospital.

He remains the only student of the community college to have contracted the condition, while screening of staff and students is under way.

Meanwhile, a 17-year-old boy from Ballincollig who contracted meningitis last week was in a stable condition in hospital yesterday.

The student of Coláiste Choilm in Ballincollig is also being treated at CUH after falling ill last Friday.

Parents of other students at Coláiste Choilm have been given information leaflets on meningitis and advised to look out for symptoms which include high temperature, severe headache, neck stiffness, nausea or vomiting, drowsiness and joint or muscle pains among adults and older children. For babies and infants, the signs include high temperature, being fretful or difficult to wake, a high-pitched or moaning cry and cold hands and feet.

In relation to the TB case, the HSE said yesterday that contact tracing is proceeding in accordance with national guidelines. “There is on-going close liaison with public health doctors, the school and parents.”

The incidence of TB in the HSE South (Cork-Kerry) region has been rising over the last two years, with 96 cases in 2006 and 110 cases revealed by provisional figures for 2007.

Cork is the only county where newborn babies are not routinely given the BCG vaccine against TB.

The unprecedented crèche-related TB outbreak in Cork in 2007 accounted for 21 of the 110 reported cases that year. The majority of notified TB cases continue to be among Irish-born people.

In the HSE South region during 2006, 25% of the TB cases notified were born outside Ireland (provisionally 10.7% in 2007).