90% fit for school after TB outbreak

Nearly 90 percent of students infected in a tuberculosis outbreak at a middle school in August had returned to school or were able to do so by Wednesday, the government of Taojiang county, Hunan province, said on Thursday.

The outbreak occurred at Taojiang No 4 Middle School on Aug 19, prompting the Taojiang government to take emergency measures. It also immediately reported the outbreak to the Hunan provincial center for disease control and prevention, the statement said.

The government invited experts from the Hunan Center for Disease Control and the Hunan Tuberculosis Control Institute, to help with treatment. It organized four rounds of screening tests covering all staff and students at the school, as well as tests for other high-risk groups, including those who had close contact with the confirmed cases, the statement said.