Concern after another TB outbreak detected

A child under five is part of a cluster of people diagnosed with tuberculosis in South Australia. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

A young child is among five people receiving treatment amid a tuberculosis outbreak in South Australia.

The cluster in the state's eastern Murraylands region, including four active cases diagnosed since April, poses no risk to the wider community, SA Health says.

Work is underway to ensure high-risk close contacts are followed up and screened.

"One of the newly diagnosed active cases is a child under the age of five, which is particularly concerning because children are at higher risk of developing severe and more widespread active disease," chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said on Wednesday.

Significant concern was raised among the health community when a tuberculosis outbreak was detected in the remote APY lands in March, with 13 cases reported.

But SA Health says the two outbreaks are not connected.

Genomic testing of the Murraylands cluster linked it to a historic case from 2018, with most cases close family members.

Health officials have also identified nine people with latent, or 'sleeping', tuberculosis.

People with latent tuberculosis do not have symptoms and cannot spread the infection, but over time it can progress to its active form. 

Symptoms of tuberculosis include a bad cough that lasts longer than two weeks, chest pain and coughing up blood or phlegm, and sometimes recurrent fevers and weight loss.

The SA TB service is working with the Aboriginal Public Health team, Department for Health and Wellbeing and the Women’s and Children’s Health Network to co-ordinate testing, treatment of cases and contact tracing.

13YARN 13 92 76

Aboriginal Counselling Services 0410 539 905

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