Calls have been made for the immediate rolling out of a BCG vaccination scheme for children in Cork after seven more cases of TB were confirmed at a creche in the city.
This brings to 10 the number of cases detected in the past four weeks at two childcare facilities. The seven cases confirmed this week were all of children who attend Nurture Childcare in Ardfallen Mall, Douglas. Final screening on two adults are awaited.
The children who contracted TB are attending a consulting paediatrician, while an unspecified number of children will be starting prophylactic antibiotic therapy on the basis of test results that showed a latent form of the disease. A spokesman for the HSE South's Department of Public Health yesterday said there was no reason to close the creche or the previous creche affected by TB.
"Children on treatment are not infectious and can return to school as normal. There is no risk to other children in the creche from children who are on treatment," the spokesman said. "The HSE is undertaking a further risk assessment today taking into account all the screening results and evidence to date."