TB at two schools in Wigan
12 September 2013, 14:10 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50
Wigan Council, the local NHS TB service and Public Health Protection Team are investigating two unconnected TB issues within schools in Wigan.
Wigan Council has given Capital FM this statement, after two cases of TB were confirmed at schools in Wigan
"We can confirm we are investigating a confirmed TB case linked toHawkleyHallHigh School. Public health investigations and management of close contacts is underway in line with national guidance. Pupils or staff considered to be at risk of infection will be contacted directly to arrange appropriate testing for them.
We can also confirm an individual connected with The Deanery Church of England School has been diagnosed with TB. This patient is responding well to treatment and is no longer infectious to other people. Public health investigations and management of close contacts has been undertaken and all close contacts within the school have been screened for TB infection. Screening has not identified any further TB cases in the school and there has been no evidence of transmission of the disease to any contacts at the school.
Dr Kate Ardern, Wigan Council director of Public Health, said: “People should be reassured that, as a general rule, TB does not spread easily from person to person. People are normally only at increased risk if they have spent many hours in close contact with someone with TB who is openly infectious and coughing up TB germs.
“Wigan Borough has a very low incidence of TB, the lowest in Greater Manchester. During the three years 2010 to 2012 there were, on average, 11 cases per year within the borough. Only one in 45 cases in Greater Manchester occurs in Wigan Borough. However, we take TB very seriously. Working with the local TB service we actively try to identify and treat people with TB at the earliest possible stage to reduce the likelihood of any spread.”
Public HealthEnglandadvises that people be aware of TB and its symptoms. The following symptoms may suggest TB disease:
- Persistent and gradually worsening cough
- Feeling unusually ill or tired
- Weight loss for no obvious reason
- Loss of appetite for no obvious reason
- Sweating attacks - especially at night
- Coughing up blood
TB develops slowly in the body and it can take many months or even years for a patient to become openly infectious. Furthermore, as a general rule, TB does not spread easily from person to person.
In most instances TB is fully curable and the majority of patients make a complete recovery. The usual treatment is a six-month course of TB drugs and it is vitally important for the entire course to be completed, even though the patient may feel better after just a few weeks.
