More than 100 children and 34 staff tested for tuberculosis at Sydney childcare centre

More than 100 children and 34 staff at a Waverley childcare centre have been screened for tuberculosis after an individual who tested positive for the disease attended the facility over a six-month period, New South Wales health authorities said.

NSW Health established a temporary clinic at Little Feet Early Learning and Childcare last week to carry out tests for 104 children and 34 staff following an email to parents that warned their children may have been exposed. The person diagnosed with tuberculosis attended the centre three days a week between February and August 2025, officials said. It is not yet known whether the individual was a child or an employee.

An email, seen by Nine News and distributed to families, said: "The risk that TB disease may have spread to children is low, and children do not pose any risk to their families or others." NSW Health invited families to a webinar on Monday night in which parents were told the transmission risk was low.

South Eastern Sydney Public Health Unit director Dr. Vicky Sheppeard said the unit would not know whether transmission had occurred until further testing was completed. "Sometimes there is no spread at all, sometimes we find a handful of people who have caught the infection," she said. Sheppeard added that tuberculosis can take months to develop into active disease in children under five and that officials would reassess transmission risk after follow-up testing in November.

Results from the first round of tests were expected by Friday, NSW Health said. All children identified as potentially exposed will be given an eight-week course of preventive antibiotics regardless of their initial test outcome and will be retested eight to 12 weeks after the first assessment, public health officials said.

The individual who tested positive is receiving treatment and is expected to return to the centre once fully recovered, authorities said. NSW Health recorded at least 349 notifications of tuberculosis in 2025 as of Monday.

Tuberculosis is an infectious airborne disease that most commonly affects the lungs. A small number of infected people may not show signs of illness. General symptoms can include fever, chills, night sweats, loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue, and in some cases the disease can be fatal if untreated.

Health officials said the screening and preventive treatment follow established contact-tracing and public health protocols designed to limit spread, protect vulnerable children and provide early intervention when necessary. Parents with concerns were urged to contact NSW Health or the childcare service for advice and to attend scheduled testing and follow-up appointments.

Daily Mail contacted Little Feet Early Learning and Childcare in Waverley and NSW Health for comment.