New South Wales health authorities say there are no active cases of tuberculosis at a childcare centre in Sydney’s inner city following the testing of 100 children and staff.
A person who had daily contact with the children at the Only About Children Surry Hills centre contracted the disease before Christmas.
Director of the public health unit from the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Professor Mark Ferson said there would be a second round of testing in April to confirm the initial results from around 100 people.
He said nine children were showing indications in their blood that need to be followed up.
“And they may be a result of exposure to tuberculosis, past vaccination with BCG vaccine, the tuberculosis vaccine or exposure to organisms that are germs related to tuberculosis but aren’t tuberculosis,” Professor Ferson said.
“No-one has been identified as having active tuberculosis and there is no further risk at the childcare centre.”
Professor Ferson said the nine children have been seen by a specialist.
“So anyone with a positive test has been assessed further by a tuberculosis physician. It depends on the situation, but chest x-rays are usually required and a full clinical assessment examination and so, none of those have been shown to have active tuberculosis,” he said.
Professor Ferson said the next stage will be a second round of tests to confirm the initial results, as it may take several months for someone who has been exposed to turn up in the tests.
“The next phase of the screening program will be further testing in about 10 weeks, there is a small chance of someone developing tuberculosis from this exposure but we believe the risk is very small but that’s why the further screening is being conducted,” he said.
He said a second Tuberculin skin test will be done for all those involved.
Professor Ferson said the children’s parents were informed of the results and the person with the original infection was responding to treatment.
Around 500 people are diagnosed with tuberculosis in NSW each year.