Schoolteacher diagnosed with TB

Children from three British schools were being screened for tuberculosis today after pupils and staff were diagnosed with the disease.

The new cases have hit schools in south Wales, Manchester and London and follow outbreaks in Leicester and Newport, north Wales.

Health officials said yesterday that a pupil at Ninian Park Primary in Cardiff has been diagnosed with the contagious lung disease.

The child is no longer infectious and comes from a family with a history of TB, said Bro Taf Health Authority.

The authority believes the infant did not pick up the infection from the school but all pupils there will be screened.

Communicable disease control consultant Dr Marion Lyons said parents should send their children to the school as normal.

She said: ‘‘The risk of spreading the germ in the school setting is very small, but as a precautionary measure we will be screening all pupils at the school for TB.’’

The Health Authority is resuming a programme of BCG vaccination to protect against TB in secondary schools from September.

It said there had been a UK-wide shortage of the vaccine, meaning that the routine TB immunisation programme for the illness was shelved during 1997.

In Manchester a helpline for parents was launched after a teacher was diagnosed with the disease.

Approximately 40 pupils and staff at Ducie High School in Moss Side, Manchester, will be screened.

School head Ray Kirby said the female teacher was diagnosed last week but had not been in the school since late March.

Mr Kirby said only pupils and staff who had considerable contact with her over a long period of time would be screened.

The head of the 630-pupil school said: ‘‘Letters have been sent to parents today. Everyone will also be given special information on the disease as well as access to a special telephone helpline.

‘‘We will communicate any further information as soon as we have it.’’

A Manchester City Council spokesperson said: ‘‘We are taking all the necessary steps to ensure all the relevant people are screened in line with health authority guidelines and we would like to reassure parents everything is being done to protect their children’s safety.’’

Tests are also being carried out in a school in Wandsworth, south London, after a teacher collapsed with the infection.