Pupils at Gorseinon Infants and Junior Schools are being offered screening for TB after a member of staff and her 3 children were diagnosed with the infection. Mac Walapu, of the NPHS, said the screening for TB was normal procedure in
such cases. He said:
“The test involves injecting a small amount of purified sterile
protein just under the skin in the forearm. The test can be read two to three days later. We will be seeing every tested
child later this week to read the reaction. A positive test does not necessarily mean the child has TB. A positive
result can be caused by a reaction to a previous BCG vaccination or to exposure
to TB at any time in the past. It can also be caused by exposure to other germs similar to TB which are
mostly harmless.”
A special helpline has been set up on 0845 6003678. It is open Monday – Friday 7am – 8pm. until Friday 18 May. A leaflet with more information is available from the NPHS website.
