In Charente-Maritime, two cases of pulmonary tuberculosis were detected in a middle school and a high school student.
- In Charente-Maritime, a middle school and a high school student were tested positive for tuberculosis.
- In June 2024, this same teenager, educated at the Agrippa-d’Aubigné college, located in Saintes, had already been tested positive.
- Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs and is characterized by the following symptoms: cough, chest pain, fever, weight loss, etc.
In Charente-Maritime, a middle school and a high school student were tested positive for tuberculosis, according to South West. In June 2024, this same teenager, educated at the Agrippa-d’Aubigné college, located in Saintes, had already been tested positive but was asymptomatic and non-contact.
A college affected by tuberculosis for a year
It has therefore been two consecutive years that the teenager is positive for tuberculosis and, de factothat the school is faced with cases of tuberculosis. “”College has really minimized the danger“Indicates a parent of a student in South West. Last spring, a 3rd year student – who had arrived during the year – was the first case of tuberculosis identified in this college.
Following this first case, a student and staff monitoring campaign had been set up by the Regional Health Agency (ARS). On the basis of volunteering, everyone could be tested. This is how the college student, still today affected by the disease, had been detected. Once this first screening is done, positive people at tuberculosis received preventive treatment and could be monitored every six months. It was during one of these control x -rays that the college student discovered that, this year again, she was positive for tuberculosis.
As a reminder, this pathology is due to a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosiswhich generally affects the lungs and is transmitted by air. Symptoms of tuberculosis are a cough (sometimes with blood), thoracic pain, a state of weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats, According to the World Health Organization (WHO) which indicates that around 5 % to 10 % of infected people will be symptomatic.
Vaccination to protect yourself from tuberculosis
Without treatment, tuberculosis can be fatal. According to WHO, 1.25 million people died in 2023. However, as recalled The Pasteur Institute“An association of therapeutic antibiotics and chemo is used to treat tuberculosis, but the treatment must be followed at least 6 months (and up to two years in the event of multidistant strains) ”. It is very important to follow this treatment well, seriously and until the end. Patients who do not respect the dosage are exposed to the appearance of antibiotic resistant tuberculosis, much more difficult to treat.
Currently, the only vaccine that protects against tuberculosis is the BCG (Bacille de Calmette and Guérin). Since 2007, this vaccination is no longer compulsory for children, but it is nevertheless recommended (between 1 month and 15 years) for Those who have a high risk of tuberculosis. According to Health insurancethe effectiveness of the BCG varies between 75 and 85 %.
