School Employee in St. Petersburg Diagnosed with Tuberculosis

In a school in the Primorsky District of St. Petersburg, an employee was diagnosed with tuberculosis and subsequently hospitalized. This was reported on January 25 by the city health committee.

A mobile fluorography unit from the City Tuberculosis Dispensary was dispatched to the site to examine students. No additional cases of the disease were identified, and disinfection measures were carried out in the institution«s building.

There are no plans to close the school for quarantine, as tuberculosis is not a quarantine infection. «Disinfection has been carried out, the situation is under the control of Rospotrebnadzor (the Russian consumer rights and human wellbeing watchdog). Nothing is being hidden from anyone. Perhaps rumors arise among parents due to a lack of information,» said Alexander Panteleev, chief phthisiatrician (a tuberculosis specialist) of the health committee and chief physician of the City Tuberculosis Dispensary. To prevent such rumors, the dispensary intends to organize parent meetings with the participation of phthisiatricians and epidemiologists in such cases.

Earlier, parents appealed to Yekaterina Mizulina, head of the Safe Internet League, with a complaint about the administration of one of the schools in the Primorsky District. According to them, a cook in the school cafeteria was found to have an open form of tuberculosis, and the institution«s management tried to hide this information. The school principal refused to comment. The editorial board of »Fontanka« sent a query to the administration of the Primorsky District.