Scottish schoolgirl TB infection confirmed

Children and staff at a school in Scotland are being offering screenings after a fellow pupil contracted tuberculosis.

A girl at Galashiels Academy has been diagnosed with the disease and was responding well to treatment, NHS Borders has confirmed.

The health service said the cause should not be overly concerned and the screenings are being conducted as a precaution.

Dr Tim Patterson, NHS Borders consultant in public health medicine, said: "TB in Scotland is a relatively uncommon but treatable condition.

"It is a difficult infection to pass on to other people and therefore it would be extremely unlikely to find anyone else with active TB infection in the school population.

"All relevant contacts have been identified. The screening is a necessary but purely precautionary measure."

Anyone concerned is being advised to ring a helpline set up for the incident on 08000 858531.

As of September 2005, a targeted programme of TB vaccinations in schools across the country was introduced, with only those deemed as being at risk receiving the vaccine.