Public Health Wales (PHW) has urged anyone suffering from a combination of an unexplained prolonged cough unexplained weight loss or night sweats to contact their GP, following the death of a student from TB.

PHW said it had been notified of the death with tuberculosis (TB) of a student at the Lampeter campus of University of Wales, Trinity St David.

PHW, Hywel Dda University Health Board and the University of Wales Trinity St David are working together to identify close contacts of the deceased and offer them TB screening.

The agency said that there was no link between this case and the ongoing outbreak of TB at Llwynhendy, Carmarthenshire.

Sion Lingard, consultant in health protection forPHW, said: “A multi-agency Incident Management Team (IMT) has been convened to look into this case and any control measures that are needed.

“The risk to the general public remains very low, as TB 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.

“We are in the process of identifying close contacts of the deceased to offer them TB screening by Hywel Dda University Health Board and providing advice to staff and students of the university.

“TB is curable with a full course of treatment.”

PHW said those that would benefit from TB screening would be contacted directly as work to identify close contacts is ongoing.

Anyone suffering from a combination of an unexplained prolonged cough (sometimes this may include coughing up blood), unexplained weight loss or night sweats should seek advice from their GP.

Public Health Wales offered condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and added that it won’t be possible to comment any further on this matter pending further investigations.

More information on tuberculosis is available from the NHS 111 Wales website at: https://111.wales.nhs.uk/encyclopaedia/t/article/tuberculosis/