Strep A kills at least 15 children in United Kingdom

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09th Dec, 2022. 12:00 am
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Strep A infections have killed 15 kids in the UK since September.
Invasive strep A infections are on the rise.
Causes include scarlet fever, sore throat, and respiratory diseases.

Strep A infections have killed 15 kids in the UK since September, according to the most recent UK Health Security Agency statistics.

This contains one child’s death each in Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has not reported any verified deaths.

In addition, there have been 47 adult strep A deaths in England.

The majority of strep A infections are moderate, but the incidence of more severe, invasive cases is on the rise, despite their rarity.

Experts advise anyone worried about their symptoms to get in touch with a doctor right once.

Strep A infections typically rise in the winter and peak in the spring, but statistics indicate that this year’s cases are starting earlier than usual.

According to the UKHSA, the last time there were a significant number of cases was during the 2017–18 season, when there were 328 adult fatalities and 27 deaths of children under the age of 18 in England.

High-case seasons can happen every three to four years. However, social isolation policies implemented during the pandemic may have broken the cycle, which could help to explain the recent increase, according to UKHSA experts.

Since September, there have been 60 cases of invasive strep A in children between the ages of five and nine in England and 85 cases in children between the ages of one and four. Most cases affect people over the age of 45.

Dr Colin Brown, deputy director of the UKHSA, said: “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.”

What are parents supposed to do?

If your child appears to be gravely ill, trust your judgement.

Contact NHS 111 or your local surgery if they:

are getting worse
are eating much less than normal
show signs of dehydration, such as a dry nappy for 12 hours
have a temperature of 39C or higher, or 38C if under three months old
are a baby and feel hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest or sweaty

are very tired or irritable

Call 999 or go to an accident-and-emergency unit if:

they are having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or their stomach sucking under their ribs
they are pausing when they breathe
their skin, tongue or lips are blue
they are floppy and will not wake up or stay awake

Strep A kills at least 15 children in United Kingdom

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