A child who had been treated for tuberculosis attended a children's center in Tasmania
The child, who was undergoing treatment for tuberculosis, attended the Kings Meadow Goodstart Early Learning Center in Kings Meadows, near Launceston in northern Tasmania. According to ABC News Australia, the child was last at the center in mid-July.
The child’s age and gender are not being disclosed for privacy reasons. The center cares for children aged six months to six years. A representative from Goodstart, the center’s operator, said the facility learned of the case last week and began notifying the families of children attending the center on Thursday.
Close contacts of the child, including other children and center staff, have been offered precautionary testing. This effort is being coordinated by the Tasmanian Department of Health and Launceston General Hospital. According to ABC News Australia, the risk of transmission is considered low, and the case is considered an isolated incident.
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The center remains open and is operating as usual. Goodstart stated that since learning of the case, it has followed the guidelines of Public Health Tasmania and its own policies regarding infectious diseases, and continues to follow standard hygiene and cleaning procedures. Families with questions were advised to contact their family doctor or the public health hotline.
The operator also reported that the child attended another preschool in the area. Tuberculosis is an infectious bacterial disease that is relatively rare in Australia. Without treatment, the disease can be fatal, but it is treatable with antibiotics. The Australian Center for Disease Control estimates that approximately 1.3 million people die from tuberculosis worldwide each year.
