A 15-year-old Colchester schoolgirl is recovering from tuberculosis in hospital.

The illness was diagnosed a few days ago but the girl is said to be responding well to treatment.

She is a year 11 child at the 1,000-pupil Thomas, Lord Audley School in Monkwick. All parents with children at the school have been informed, and the health authority has been offering advice.

The girl was admitted to Colchester General Hospital last week after complaining of a chronic cough and feeling run down.

Doctors quickly diagnosed her and she has been treated with antibiotics. She is being kept in isolation but health bosses stressed the risk of infecting anyone else was very small.

The girl moved with her family to Colchester from overseas eight years ago.

She had lived in a country where TB was endemic and it is thought she had it when she was younger and it had reactivated.

A hospital spokesman said: "She will probably be allowed home in the next few days. We are not being complacent but the chance of anyone else getting infected by the girl is very remote."

As a precaution, staff and classmates will be screened for TB. Head teacher Bob Brewster said steps would be taken to reassure other parents, pupils and staff.

Some pupils had TB jabs last year, though hundreds of children at other Colchester schools missed out because of supply problems.

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