OUTBREAK ALERT
Case of ‘world’s most infectious disease’ detected at primary school – as health chiefs race to contain spread
Health officials are now calling the highly infectious bug a 'serious public health issue in England'
THE world’s deadliest infectious disease has been detected in a primary school in East Sussex, according to health chiefs.
Parents and staff at Meridian Community Primary in Peacehaven were sent a letter on March 27, informing them of a confirmed case of tuberculosis (TB) at the school.
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England has seen a surge in cases of the deadly Victorian disease in the past couple of years, with officials warning in December for Brits to stay alert for symptoms.
The letter, seen by and signed by headteacher Claire Westcott, said parents would hear next from the Public Health Protection Team.
Children and staff in “regular and close contact” with the case will need blood tests at Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital this week as a precaution, it said.
Other children will require a screening in school on Wednesday 23 and 24 and children not in “regular or close contact” will not require any screening.
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No other details about the case have been shared yet.
“We are working closely with the school and following national guidelines, which include identifying those with greatest contact and arranging TB screening for them," Natalie Adams, from UKHSA UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) South East team, said.
"As a precautionary measure we have decided to offer screening to some of those in the school to ensure no further onward transmission," she told The Sun.
TB is the deadliest infectious disease in human history - even now, it regularly kills over a million people a year and infects millions more.
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It was briefly overtaken by Covid-19, but it reclaimed the top spot last year.
The disease has started to surge globally for the first time in decades, with 7.5million people diagnosed in 2022 - the highest number ever recorded.
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The latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency showed cases jumped by more than 11 per cent last year, rising from 4,380 in 2022 to 4,855 in 2023.
In July 2022, Brits were urged to be on the lookout for signs of the deadly Victorian disease after an outbreak at a university in Wales.
Health officials are now calling the highly infectious bug a "serious public health issue in England".
TB is a bacterial infection that begins by eating away at the lungs, destroying tissue. It is at this stage, when the infection is most active, that it is at its most infectious.
When someone with active TB coughs, they release small droplets containing the bug into the air, for someone else to breathe in.
From the lungs, it can move to other parts of the body, like the tummy, bones, glands and nervous system.
Symptoms - like prolonged cough, chest pain, weakness, and fever - can be mistaken for a cold.
Depending on a person's age and health, they can suffer from an active infection for over a year.
During this time, they may experience weight loss, loss of appetite, and severe abdominal pain, which can eventually lead to lung collapse, fluid buildup, or other serious - and deadly - complications.
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Natalie added: “It is important that everyone is aware of the symptoms of TB, which include a prolonged unexplained cough, fevers, and weight loss.
"Greater awareness can mean the condition is diagnosed much faster."
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How can I protect myself and my children against TB?
There is a shot to protect you against tuberculosis called the BCG vaccine.
It's given during childhood and is currently the most widely used shot globally.
It is no longer offered to secondary school kids in the UK and instead only targets young children deemed most at risk.
The NHS recommends it for the following groups:
- Babies who live in areas of the UK where TB is more common
- Babies and children who live with someone who has TB
- Babies and children who were born or lived in a country where TB is more common
- Babies and children whose parents or grandparents were born in a country where TB is more common
- People aged 35 and under who are spending more than 3 months in a country where TB is more common
- People at risk of getting TB through their work, such as healthcare workers who work with people who have TB
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