The number of children who have died from Strep A in the UK has now reached 15, official figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show. A total of 13 children under the age of 15 have died in England since September, with an additional one in Northern Ireland and one in Wales.
Group A strep bacteria can cause many different infections, including the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat. The vast majority of infections are relatively mild, however the bacteria can also cause a life-threatening illness called invasive Group A Streptococcal disease, which is what has caused the deaths seen in the UK in recent weeks.
The UKHSA has said the recent rise in cases is most likely due to high amounts of circulating bacteria and increased social mixing. Since September, a total of 60 deaths have been reported across all age groups in England.
WATCH: All the advice parents need on Strep A from Greater Manchester health experts
The UKHSA said there have been 652 reports of invasive Strep disease since September, higher than at the same points over the last five years. There have been 85 cases in children aged one to four so far, which compares to 194 cases in that age group across the whole of the last high season in 2017/2018. There have also been 60 cases in children aged five to nine.
Dr Colin Brown, deputy director of the UKHSA, said: “Scarlet fever and ‘strep throat’ are common childhood illnesses that can be treated easily with antibiotics.Please visit NHS.uk, contact 111 online or your GP surgery if your child has symptoms of this infection so they can be assessed for treatment."
He continued: “Very rarely, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause more serious illness called invasive Group A strep. We know that this is concerning for parents, but I want to stress that while we are seeing an increase in cases in children, this remains very uncommon.
“There a lots of winter bugs circulating that can make your child feel unwell, that mostly aren’t cause for alarm. However, make sure you talk to a health professional if your child is getting worse after a bout of scarlet fever, a sore throat or respiratory infection – look out for signs such as a fever that won’t go down, dehydration, extreme tiredness and difficulty breathing.”
Though it is not impossible for adults to get Scarlet Fever, it is much more common in children. In adults, a Strep infection is more likely to result in a sore throat.
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