THE COST OF MULTI-RACISM IN LEICESTER

[Nonson]

ENGLAND: THE COST OF MULTI-RACISM IN LEICESTER

[Ed: Leicester is a city which will soon be majority Asian. Tell others:
"There was speculation the 93% Asian make-up of students at Crown Hills
school, who may have travelled to areas in the Indian subcontinent where TB
is rife, may be a factor."]:

AN investigation was under way today into the largest outbreak of
tuberculosis in recent times which has struck at a secondary school.

The number of pupils at the Crown Hills Community College in Leicester who
have contracted the disease rose from seven to 24 yesterday.

A mass screening programme at the 1,200 pupil school found 60 students who
are showing signs of having the disease and have now been put on=
antibiotics.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said: "This is a large and unusual
outbreak but a thorough investigation is under way.

Leicestershire Health Authority, which is coordinating the operation, said a
crisis meeting will be held at the beginning of next week, when it will be
decided whether other schools in the Leicester area and families of those
infected should be tested.

Dr Philip Monk, consultant on communicable disease control at the health
authority, told a press conference yesterday: "This is clearly a major
outbreak.

"While we have found a lot of students at this college, it is most likely to
be a reflection of a community outbreak.

"It is a particularly virulent strain of the disease that is spreading
rapidly."

He said some of those infected may have to be admitted to hospital as a
precaution.

There was speculation the 93% Asian make-up of students at Crown Hills
school, who may have travelled to areas in the Indian subcontinent where TB
is rife, may be a factor.

"There is no doubt that however this happened it is in the community, and in
Leicester. How it was introduced we do not know, but it doesn't have to be
from travelling abroad," said Dr Monk.

Asked if he had come across an outbreak as large while studying the
background for this case, Dr Monk replied: "No."

Dr Monk said after the press conference that thousands of children in the
community may potentially have to be screened if it is thought the disease
had spread.

Dr Gerry Bryant, a specialist registrar in public health, signalled the
crisis was not over when she admitted that the final number of TB cases=
could
rise "a lot higher".

The Government halted the school vaccination programme against TB 18 months
ago when supplies of the vaccine ran dangerously low.

However, Dr Bryant said most of the pupils at the school had already been
vaccinated and added: "I don't believe the suspension of the programme had
much impact."

The first case of TB in the school was a 13-year-old pupil diagnosed in
August last year, followed by another 13-year-old in the same year group in
October.

However, it was not until a third 13-year-old was found to have the disease
in February this year that public health experts in Leicester finally took
action.

The mass screening covered 700 pupils in the lower years at the school, from
which 170 were found to have cause for concern.

The remaining 500 pupils at Crown Hills, aged 15 and 16, who have not=
already
been screened will be tested after the Easter holiday break.

Gary Coleby, head teacher of Crown Hills College, said: "We are trying to
operate as normal and until we are told otherwise, school is going on as
normal."

Shadow health secretary Dr Liam Fox said the outbreak indicated the "low
priority public health has had under Labour".

"London is now the TB capital of Europe with not only rapidly increasing
numbers of cases but with drugs resistant cases becoming more common.

"Labour's failure to vaccinate, to detect infected cases and their failure=
to
screen asylum seekers from high risk areas, have all put at risk the=
public's
health.

"Ministers must accept full responsibility for the disaster that they are=
now
overseeing."