The Health Service Executive has confirmed that more than 200 children are to be tested for TB following an outbreak among pupils attending a primary school in Cork.
TB is an infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs, but can affect other parts of the body. It can be successfully treated with the administration of multiple drugs.
The HSE said that the TB cases at the school were identified earlier this month and letters were sent to parents of students notifying them of the outbreak.
The three children involved have started anti-tuberculosis treatment.
A decision was subsequently made to screen around 220 students and staff at Ballintemple National School and parents were also notified of this move by letter.
The screening is due to begin in St Finbarr's Hospital in Cork on Monday.
Screening is also being offered to family members of the three children who contracted TB.
The HSE said that the school was working closely with the team which is trying to establish the source of the disease.
Professor Joseph Keane, who is a respiratory physician at St James's Hospital in Dublin, said that a national screening programme for TB needs to be put in place to in a bid to reduce the number of cases of the disease in Ireland.
