TB hits 33 children at nursery school

MORE than 30 children are being treated for TB at a nursery in central London.

An adult who was diagnosed with tuberculosis in the summer is believed to have spread the bacteria to 33 children after coming into contact with them at a Westminster nursery.

The Health Protection Agency has been called in to deal with the outbreak, which has also hit seven of the staff at Knightsbridge Kindergarten.

It comes less than two weeks after the Standard revealed that hundreds of schoolchildren in Camden are being screened for TB after six pupils were diagnosed with the infection.

All teachers and pupils who attended South Camden Community College over the past year are being asked to have a blood test.

At the Westminster nursery seven children have been diagnosed with an active infection and put on a six-month course of antibiotics.

Another 26 were found to have the bacteria but it has not yet developed into active TB. They have been given a three-month course of drugs.

One member of staff is also being treated for active TB and has been excluded from work, while another six were found to have the TB bacteria.

Dr Brian McCloskey, director of the London region at the HPA, said: "We carry out screening for TB on a regular basis in London, however this incident is different to the others due to the number of children and adults who have been affected.

"A possible explanation may include that the initial case was particularly infectious and had been suffering from symptoms for eight months before doctors diagnosed TB."

The original patient is receiving treatment and is no longer infectious. Each year about 3,300 people in London are diagnosed with TB which usually affects the lungs. Symptoms include a dry irritating cough.