A child has contracted tuberculosisat the Saint-Joseph school in Saint-Brévin in Loire-Atlantique according to information from France Blue published Friday March 16. The Saint-Nazaire hospital center expects “other cases to be highlighted in the coming weeks”, according to a statement taken by local radio.
The whole school must be screened in order to limit the risk of contamination from this highly contagious disease. At the end of February, an adult working in an extracurricular environment had been affected by this pathology. According to France Bleu, three kindergarten classes have been in regular contact with the sick adult.
Expanded screening
This Monday, March 19, the tuberculosis control center (CLAT) must carry out examinations of screening in the grounds of the Saint-Joseph school. At least 274 children and 16 adults will undergo this procedure in order to identify any signs of this pathology. An x-ray of the lungs as well as a tuberculin skin test (a skin test) are planned. The screening perimeter should be extended beyond 290 patients. Parents will be informed of the modalities of these screening operations.
The Saint-Nazaire hospital center recalls that “tuberculosis is a disease that occurs effectively treated with antibiotics“.
Tuberculosis is a contagious disease caused by Koch’s bacillus (strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex), recalls the Pasteur Institute. This infectious agent is transmitted by air, via droplets containing bacteria and by coughing patients. “In France, there are nearly 5,000 new cases per year and around 900 deaths each year, Guyana, Mayotte and Île-de-France being the regions most affected in terms of reporting rate”, according to the Institute Pastor.
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