Bedok school hit with third case of tuberculosis
A 16-year-old student from Bedok Town Secondary School has been diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB), making her the third student from the school to be infected with the disease this year.
Last Friday, secondary four student Jarah Lachica was admitted to Changi General Hospital (CGH) after she started coughing out blood.
She is currently in an isolation ward and on medication but took her first O-level paper at the hospital on Monday.
In its response, the Ministry of Health (MOH), who was informed of the latest case on Thursday, said that the latest student was “not an identified contact” of the other two, who contracted the disease in April and July this year, reported The Straits Times.
The ministry noted that the students were from different academic levels and were not close contacts.
Its spokesman said, “However, we are conducting further genetic analysis to ascertain if the cases are linked,” adding that test results will take some time to be finalised.
The screening of close contacts involved in the new case will commence said the spokesman, and investigations are under way to determine if there are students or teachers who have been exposed.
Meanwhile, the principal of Bedok Town Secondary Chia Chor Yann said it will work closely with Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s Tuberculosis Control Unit to identify and screen staff and students who have been in close contact with Jarah.
The school will also work closely with health authorities on preventive and intervention measures, said Chia as reported by the same paper.
He mentioned that none of the students and teachers screened for the previous case in April tested positive for active TB infection. The school’s first case involved a 17-year-old female student in April this year, while a second student was found to be infected a few months later.
Tuberculosis is spread through tiny droplets released into the air when a person who is infected with an active form of the disease coughs or sneezes.
Senior consultant at the TB Control Unit, Dr Cynthia Chee, told the same paper that those who had prolonged, close exposure – with regard to the number of hours – may be infected with a latent form of the disease.
A person with latent TB infection has the TB germ in the body but remains well and does not spread the germ to others. Only one in 10 people with this infection will develop the active form of TB, added Chee.
To prevent the disease from being active, taking of antibiotics over a period of about six months is required.
