Tasmanian Childcare Centre Confirms Child Treated for Tuberculosis

A childcare centre in Tasmania's north has confirmed a child who has been treated for the infectious bacterial disease tuberculosis attended the centre.

The child, whose age and gender have not been disclosed for confidentiality reasons, last attended the Kings Meadow Goodstart Early Learning Centre in mid-July.

The centre caters for children aged between six months and six years old.

A spokesperson from Goodstart said the centre was first informed of the case last week and began contacting families of children at the centre yesterday.

Close contacts of the child, including children and staff, have been offered precautionary testing, which is being coordinated by Tasmania's Department of Health and the Launceston General Hospital.

The ABC understands the risk of transmission is low and this is an isolated case.

Tuberculosis (TB) is relatively rare in Australia, and while it can be deadly if left untreated, it can be treated with antibiotics.

The Australian Centre for Disease Control says tuberculosis causes an estimated 1.3 million deaths worldwide annually.

Countries with a high prevalence of TB include India, Indonesia, Philippines, Pakistan and Vietnam, according to the World Health Organisation.

The spokesperson from Goodstart said their response had been coordinated with state authorities in alignment with their own policies.

"We've closely followed the directions of Public Health Tasmania and our own infectious diseases policy since being contacted last week," they said.

The spokesperson also said the child had attended another childcare centre in the area.

Tasmania's Department of Health lists suspected tuberculosis as an urgent category 1 medical condition requiring urgent assessment.

The Australian Centre for Disease Control website states that tuberculosis vaccinations are only recommended for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged under five, some healthcare workers and children born to parents from countries with high tuberculosis incidence or those travelling to countries with high instances of the disease.

In a statement, a spokesperson said the Department of Health had "worked closely with the childcare centres and clinical specialists to identify people who may have been exposed to TB, and to carefully plan advice, testing and follow-up".

Written advice has been provided directly to individuals and families about the potential exposure and the recommended testing.

The spokesperson said staff and children who may have been exposed "have been contacted directly and recommended free testing as a precautionary measure".

"This precautionary approach has been taken because TB can be serious in young children.

Families and staff will be provided with their test results and any recommended actions at confidential follow-up appointments in the coming weeks.

The spokesperson said other staff and children who were assessed as not currently requiring testing have also been provided with general information.