TB: University student death 'not linked to outbreak'

Image caption, The student, who died with TB, studied at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in Lampeter

The death of a student with tuberculosis (TB) has no link with an ongoing outbreak, Public Health Wales has said.

The student who died with the disease studied at the Lampeter campus of University of Wales Trinity Saint David in Ceredigion.

It follows an ongoing TB outbreak at Llwynhendy, in Carmarthenshire.

Public Health Wales said it was working to identify close contacts of the student.

Sion Lingard, consultant in health protection for Public Health Wales, said that the risk to the public was "very low" because the disease is difficult to transmit.

"It requires close and prolonged contact with an infectious individual, such as living in the same household, for a person to become infected," he said.

"TB is curable with a full course of treatment."

Mr Lingard also said a multi-agency incident management team, including Hywel Dda University Health Board and and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, had been brought together to look into this case and any required control measures.

He added that Public Health Wales was in the process of identifying close contacts of the student to offer them TB screening by the health board, and provide advice to university staff and students.

Public Health Wales advised that anyone suffering from a combination of an unexplained prolonged cough, unexplained weight loss or night sweats should seek advice from their GP.