Children attending the two Cork creches affected by an outbreak of TB are being ostracised despite the fact that most of them have not been infected and children cannot transmit the disease.
A consultant in public health medicine with the Health Service Executive South, Dr Margaret O'Sullivan, who is leading the Cork TB outbreak control team, said she was aware from parents that children were distraught at being ostracised and left to one side at parties.
At a media briefing on the TB outbreak held by the HSE last night, Dr Muireann Ní Chroinin, a consultant in paediatric health at Cork University Hospital, explained that children did not pass on the disease as they had very few bacteria when affected with TB compared to adults and did not cough as hard.
One mother who attended a separate briefing held for parents in Cork last night, and who did not want to be named, has three children attending one of the creches involved, all of whom are on preventative antibiotics.
"There is an ignorance out there among people about TB. One parent asked me if I was going to get my other children who aren't in the creche treated."
Catherine Gough from Cobh has kept her 2½-year-old daughter at home from the Panda Paws creche in Little Island since the outbreak.
"My daughter is on antibiotics and she has had two chest X-rays. Her results are clear for now, but it's a very anxious time. I have to say the creche and the HSE have been very good, but I prefer to keep her at home for now."
There have been 17 cases of TB diagnosed between the Little Island and Douglas creches (two of which are adults) since the first infected creche worker was diagnosed on March 15th.
The outbreak control team believes it is very unlikely there will be any further cases.