A primary school in Cork is set to reopen next week after suffering an outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) cases over the summer break.

Ballintemple National School will open its doors on Monday September 6th 2010 after five active and 20 latent cases of the disease were confirmed over the last few weeks, the RTE reported.

More than 120 pupils at the educational facility and member of staff have been tested by the Health Service Executive (HSE), while 100 more are waiting to be screened via a skin test and chest X-ray before the school term begins.

A HSE public consultant reassured parents that students are not at risk from contracting the disease as every pupil returning to school, either with active or latent TB, is currently not infectious.

The outbreak was confirmed after one child was diagnosed one month after the holidays began.

Speaking with the Irish Times, a doctor had previously suggested that the disease is beginning to return to Ireland, despite being in decline for 50 years.

Posted by Donal Walsh 

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