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Teign School TB outbreak 'may have been curbed by earlier screening' Teign School TB outbreak 'may have been curbed by earlier screening'
(about 4 hours later)
Health experts who worked to contain a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in a Devon school say pupils could have been screened more quickly.Health experts who worked to contain a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak in a Devon school say pupils could have been screened more quickly.
About 200 pupils and staff at Teign School in Kingsteignton contracted latent TB, the form of the disease is not infectious.About 200 pupils and staff at Teign School in Kingsteignton contracted latent TB, the form of the disease is not infectious.
Ten more people went on to develop the more serious, active form of TB.Ten more people went on to develop the more serious, active form of TB.
Public Health England (PHE) said screening would take place sooner if there was another outbreak.Public Health England (PHE) said screening would take place sooner if there was another outbreak.
It is believed the infection was brought in by a pupil from overseas, who was ill for several months. He was not diagnosed with TB until he left the school in the summer of 2014.It is believed the infection was brought in by a pupil from overseas, who was ill for several months. He was not diagnosed with TB until he left the school in the summer of 2014.
Dr Sarah Harrison, deputy director of health protection for PHE, told the BBC the disease spread far wider than they expected.Dr Sarah Harrison, deputy director of health protection for PHE, told the BBC the disease spread far wider than they expected.
"We think that for one reason or another, this first case was particularly infectious," she said."We think that for one reason or another, this first case was particularly infectious," she said.
Tuberculosis factsTuberculosis facts
PHE had followed national guidelines that restrict screening firstly to family and former classmates.PHE had followed national guidelines that restrict screening firstly to family and former classmates.
This meant the entire school's staff pupils were not tested until later when more than half of them contracted latent TB. This meant the remainder of the school's staff and pupils were not tested until later, when 200 of them were found to have latent TB.
Dr Harrison said: "We have got a small number of people with active TB and yes, if they had been tested they may well not have developed active TB.Dr Harrison said: "We have got a small number of people with active TB and yes, if they had been tested they may well not have developed active TB.
"It's easy to see that different stages could have been done a bit quicker, and I think certainly for an infectious teenager we would be expecting things to happen a bit more quickly than they did.""It's easy to see that different stages could have been done a bit quicker, and I think certainly for an infectious teenager we would be expecting things to happen a bit more quickly than they did."
Watch BBC Inside Out on BBC One in the South West at 19:30 BST for more on this story.Watch BBC Inside Out on BBC One in the South West at 19:30 BST for more on this story.