Tuberculosis - 5 France
15th September 2025
Reference: 200823551
Dear Parent/Guardian
Re: Tuberculosis at Shenton Primary School
I am writing to inform you about a Tuberculosis (TB) situation that has arisen in the school. A person who attends Shenton Primary School has unfortunately been found to have an infectious form of TB. I want to reassure you that we are working closely with the school and that they have taken all possible steps to provide a safe environment, and to safeguard the welfare of all the children who attend.
The school have informed us that your child has had significant contact with the affected case. There is therefore a risk that your child may have been exposed to TB. Although the risk of your child contracting the disease is very low, we are taking precautionary measures to ensure that no further transmission of the disease has occurred and we would like to test your child to see if they have been infected with TB as a result of this incident.
To find out whether your child has been infected with TB or not, we would like to offer a screening test. This will involve asking a few questions and taking a blood sample to be tested in the lab. If the test is positive, your child will be assessed further and may be offered a course of antibiotics to stop the infection from developing into an active disease.
It is important to stress that some individuals can be infected with TB, without showing symptoms, therefore it is essential that your child attends for the screening test even if they are feeling well. This test cannot be performed by your GP. The screening will take place on Wednesday 1st October 2025 at Shenton Primary School.
If for any reason, your child is unable to attend the session, but would still like to be screened for TB, please contact the TB service on 0116 258 3767 and they will endeavour to arrange a convenient time for them to attend an alternate screening session.
The symptoms of TB disease develop slowly in the body, and it usually takes several months for symptoms to appear. Common symptoms of TB include:
- Tiredness and lethargy,
- A prolonged persistent cough,
- High temperatures / fevers,
- Night sweats,
- Unexplained weight loss,
- Feeling generally unwell.
We are sending a consent form home with your child today, please complete and return to school as soon as possible.
If you think that your child may have these symptoms then please make an appointment to see your doctor without delay and show them this letter. Alternatively, if you would like to speak to one of the TB nurses, please contact them on 0116 258 3767. If you prefer you can speak to someone at the UK Health Security Agency by ringing 0344 2254 524 quoting reference number 200823551.
I would like to reassure you that we are taking a cautious approach and the risk that your child has been infected with TB is likely to be very low. We will continue to work closely with the school and are taking all possible steps to provide a safe environment, and to safeguard the welfare of all the children who attend the school.
Yours sincerely,
Susanne Howes
Consultant in Health Protection
For further information on tuberculosis please these links:
Tuberculosis - the disease, its treatment and prevention - GOV.UK