Senior Student Diagnosed With Probable Tuberculosis

Senior Student Diagnosed With Probable Tuberculosis

A senior student at Lincoln High School, Christchurch has been diagnosed with probable Tuberculosis (TB). The student is responding well to treatment and is likely to be back at school in a couple of weeks.

Medical officer of Health for Canterbury District Health Board, Dr Ramon Pink said the student was at school when they may have been infectious. Close contacts, which includes family members and may include teachers and students, will be screened.

“Staff from Community and Public Health will be meeting with teachers, students and parents at Lincoln High School this week to talk about TB and answer any questions they may have.

“TB is a relatively rare disease with 27 cases in Canterbury in 2010. There have been six cases in the year to date.

“It is not uncommon for this condition to occur in people travelling from overseas, however, there are occasional cases where infection spreads from person to person in New Zealand,” Ramon Pink said.

ENDS

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