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Parents across the UK are being urged to watch out for symptoms of strep A infection in their children, as health officials have revealed that a surge in cases has led to six young people’s deaths.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a rare warning on Friday evening after a rise in cases across the country, telling parents to seek medical help as soon as possible if they notice signs in their children, to prevent the infection from becoming serious. .
Symptoms include sore throat, fever and minor skin infections. In most cases, people can be treated with antibiotics and make a full recovery. In rare cases, however, strep can become a serious illness, and anyone with a high fever, severe muscle aches, pain in one part of the body, and unexplained vomiting or diarrhea should seek immediate medical attention.
In a typical winter one or two children under 10 die as a result of strep A, but this season five children in England and one in Wales have already lost their lives.
Public health officials said there is currently no evidence of a new strain circulating. They said the increase in cases and deaths was largely due to higher amounts of circulating bacteria and increased social mixing.
Strep can cause a variety of health problems, including the skin infection impetigo, strep throat, and scarlet fever.
Most infections are relatively mild, but the bacteria can cause a life-threatening illness called invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) disease.
The UKHS said on Friday evening that there had been a significant increase in scarlet fever cases recently. The week of November 14 to 20 saw 851 cases, compared to an average of 186 for the same period in previous years.
England has also reported 2.3 cases of iGAS per 100,000 children aged one to four this year, compared with an average of 0.5 in the pre-epidemic season of 2017 to 2019, the agency said. There were also 1.1 cases per 100,000 children aged five to nine, compared with a pre-epidemic average of 0.3.
During the last high season for strep A infections, in 2017/18, there were four deaths in England at this point in the season among children under the age of 10. This year the figure is five.
“We are seeing a higher than normal number of Group A strep cases this year,” UKHSA deputy director Dr Colin Brown said in a statement.
“The bacteria usually cause a mild infection that causes a sore throat or scarlet fever that can be easily treated with antibiotics. In extremely rare circumstances, these bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause a serious illness called invasive group A strep (iGAS).
“This is still unusual. However, it is important that parents are on the lookout for symptoms and see a doctor as soon as possible so that their child can be treated and we can prevent the infection from becoming serious.
“If your child shows signs of worsening after a scarlet fever, sore throat or respiratory infection, make sure you talk to a health professional.”
The UKHS said investigations were also underway after reports of an increase in lower respiratory tract strep A infections in children causing serious illnesses in the past few weeks.
The agency confirmed earlier on Friday that a child attending St John’s Primary School in Ealing, west London, had died of strep A and also revealed that the parents of a four-year-old boy from Buckinghamshire said he had died. Also
Muhammad Ibrahim Ali’s mother Shabana Kausar, who attended Oakridge School and Nursery in High Wycombe, told the Bucks Free Press: “The loss is enormous and will not replace it.”
Seven-year-old Hannah Rope, who attended Victoria Primary School in Penarth, four miles south of Cardiff, also died from the infection, and a six-year-old girl died last week after an outbreak at a school in Surrey.
The UKHSA announced on Friday evening that a fifth child had died in England since September, bringing the total known deaths in England and Wales to six. Data for Scotland and Northern Ireland were not immediately available.
There are many viruses circulating that cause sore throats, colds, and coughs, and these should resolve without medical intervention. Occasionally however, children can develop a bacterial infection on top of a viral infection and this can make them even more unwell.
Parents are asked to contact NHS 111 or their GP if their baby is getting worse, is feeding or eating much less than usual or has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration.
They should also seek help if their baby is less than three months old and has a temperature of 38C, or older than three months and has a temperature of 39C or higher. Another red flag is if the child is very tired or irritable.
Parents should call 999 or go to A&E if a child is having breathing difficulties, such as gurgling sounds or sucking in the abdomen under the ribs, pauses in breathing, a blue color to their skin, tongue or lips, or if they are floppy. and if it is floppy. Not waking up or waking up.
University of Reading microbiologist Dr. A lack of mixing as a result of the epidemic may be behind a decline in immunity against infections such as strep A, Simon Clarke said.
“I am unaware of any factor connecting these reported deaths, so it is impossible to link them, but I expect there will be more cases in the coming weeks and months.
“It strikes me that as we’re seeing with the flu at the moment, the lack of admixture in children could lead to a decline in population-wide immunity that could increase transmission, especially among school-aged children.”
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