CDC warns of a rise in severe strep A infections among children

• CDC said that respiratory viruses like RSV, flu, and Covid are on the rise.
• Group A streptococci are the same bacteria that cause strep throat and scarlet fever.
• Two young children have died in the Denver area.

The number of cases of invasive strep In a health alert, the CDC said that respiratory viruses like RSV, flu, and Covid are on the rise. Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned doctors about an increase in invasive group A strep infections in children.

Group A streptococci are the same bacteria that cause strep throat and scarlet fever, but invasive infections are more serious cases in which the bacteria spread to parts of the body they usually don’t reach, like the bloodstream.

In a health advisory, the CDC said that, even though these diseases are rare, they are “severe and invasive, have high death rates, and need treatment right away, including the right antibiotic therapy.”

The first people in the U.S. to notice the rise in invasive strep A were children in a hospital in Colorado in November, according to the CDC. After that, “potential increases in cases were noted in other states,” the advisory said.

The public health department of Colorado says that since November 1, two young children have died in the Denver area.

Invasive group A strep infections were getting more common in children’s hospitals across the U.S. At the time, the CDC said it was “hearing anecdotes from some U.S. doctors of a possible increase in infections among children” and that it was still “talking with surveillance sites and hospitals in multiple states to learn more.”

In its Thursday advisory, the agency said that the rise in strep A infections is happening at the same time as a rise in respiratory viruses like RSV, influenza, and Covid. According to data from the Department of Health and Human Services, 74% of paediatric inpatient beds were full as of Wednesday.

Some kids who get a severe case of strep A get sick with a viral respiratory infection first.

The risk of getting strep A goes up with the seasons, just like the risk of getting other illnesses, according to the CDC. In general, invasive strep infections are most likely to happen to people over 65 and those with long-term health problems.

So, the CDC stressed “how important it is for children and adults to be able to recognise, diagnose, and get the right treatment for these diseases as soon as possible.”

Irritating group When you have strep, it can lead to:

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1. Lower airway infections include pneumonia and empyema, which is when pus pockets form in the fluid-filled space around the lungs. Some of the first signs are a fever, chills, trouble breathing, or pain in the chest.
2. Cellulitis or necrotizing fasciitis, also called “flesh-eating disease,” are skin infections. Both conditions cause red, hot, swollen, or painful rashes, but necrotizing fasciitis spreads quickly and can turn into ulcers, blisters, or black spots.
3. Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome is an immune reaction that can lead to organ failure. The disease usually starts with fever, chills, aches in the muscles, nausea, or vomiting, and then it makes the heart beat or breathe quickly.
   Since the middle of September, at least 21 children in England have died from invasive group A strep. In an advisory sent out Thursday, the U.K. Health Security Agency said that people of all ages have died 94 times in England.

Last week, the World Health Organization said that there were more cases in France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

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