China's top health body has rolled out a guideline, requiring tuberculosis (TB) examinations to be conducted on all newly enrolled students and teaching staff, with the results to be included in faculty's health records. 

The guidline was jointly issued by the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Education in order to prevent the spread of TB on campuses, China Central Television reported on Sunday. 

Health checks, including screening for close contact history of TB patients, suspected symptoms of the disease and X-rays, should be conducted before students are enrolled, or no later than one month after school opens, according to the guideline. 

If more than 10 cases of TB were found in one school during one semester, the local government can assess whether it constitutes a public health incident according to evaluation results given by relevant authorities, it said. 

China has seen a continuous decline in TB outbreaks over recent years, but the situation remains serious. Schools where students are densely gathered are more prone to the spread of the disease, officials said.

The number of students who suffer from TB accounts for one third of the total in China, said the commission.

Global Times