24 catch TB in UK

Doctors in Leicester, England say they are dealing with a "major outbreak" of tuberculosis, centred on a secondary school.

The total number of cases jumped to 24, most of whom are pupils at the Crown Hills Community College.

A mass screening programme at the 1,200-pupil school also found 60 students who are showing signs of having the disease.

Leicestershire Health Authority said it was too early to speculate on the origin of the disease.

A crisis meeting will be held at the beginning of next week, when it will be decided whether other schools in the Leicester area and families of those infected should be tested.

The remaining pupils at Crown Hills, aged 15 and 16, who have not already been screened will be tested after the Easter holiday break.

Dr Gerry Bryant, a specialist registrar in public health, said the final number of TB cases could rise "a lot higher".

The first case of TB in the school was a 13-year-old pupil diagnosed in August last year, followed by another 13-year-old in the same year group in October.

However, it was not until a third 13-year-old was found to have the disease in February this year that public health experts in Leicester finally took action

Dr Philip Monk, consultant on communicable disease control at the health authority, told the meeting: "This is clearly a major outbreak. "