On 20th June, it was announced that a child attending two nurseries in Gibraltar had been found to have tuberculosis and the GHA had begun TB testing as a precautionary measure on the persons with whom the child might have been in close contact.

GHA Infection Control Nurses have now completed the contact tracing exercise. In total, 102 children and 12 adults were identified as possible contacts in two nurseries and offered skin tests. The offer was declined by 5 parents.

Tuberculosis was not found in any of the 109 tested contacts. A mild skin reaction due to previous BCG vaccination was seen in 10 contacts, but this is normal.

The child and adult with the infection are responding well to the treatment and there is no risk to the public. As emphasised in the previous statement, there are no restrictions on children attending nurseries or any other educational institutions.

The GHA wishes to record its appreciation for the prompt response and wholehearted cooperation shown by the two nurseries involved, which enabled this exercise to be completed comprehensively and swiftly.Tuberculosis is still an uncommon disease in Gibraltar. Recent mothers should ensure that their newborns receive the BCG vaccination.