Hundreds of pupils at a primary school in Glasgow will be screened for tuberculosis after a teacher was found to have the disease.

Health officials said the teacher at Notre Dame primary in West End of the city was now recovering from the potentially fatal infection.

The 340 children who attend the school and up to 20 members of staff are now to be screened.

Tuberculosis is passed by prolonged contact with someone who is coughing up TB germs. Prolonged contact is defined as three to four hours.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board said the screening was a "precautionary measure", and routine in the circumstances.

Letters had been sent to parents aiming to reassure them, the board added.

Dr Syed Ahmed, a consultant in public health with the authority, said: "This is an isolated case and not an outbreak. In keeping with national guidance we are screening close contacts, including the children at the teacher's school, as an extra precaution and are offering advice and information where appropriate."

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde refused to name the school involved, saying it was a health board policy.

Asked to explain its decision not to name the school, a spokeswoman for the board said: "It's just something we don't do. It's for the protection of children and parents.

"If someone goes on to name the school, that's their choice. That's their decision."

The spokeswoman said that parents whose children attended Notre Dame had been informed of the TB case by letter and given advice.

She added that other residents in the area and parents from other schools had not been informed but would also be able to contact the health board for advice if they wished.

Symptoms of the disease include a persistent cough; weight loss; loss of appetite; high temperature or excessive sweating, particularly at night and lasting for two weeks or more; coughing up blood or dirty spit; and chest tightness or pain.

In 2004, around 1.6 million people died from the disease, mostly in developing countries.

But the incidence of tuberculosis in developed countries is also on the rise, as people's immune systems are weakened by increased use of medication, and higher rates of substance abuse and HIV.