The death of six children from strep A has shocked the UK. Thousands of parents are on alert as there is an outbreak of the infection in mainly primary school children.
The Health Protection Agency (UKHSA) says there have been five deaths in England of children under the age of 10 in one week since the diagnosis of strep A in September. Last month, a seven-year-old girl in Cardiff, Wales, died from the infection bringing the total number of deaths to six. Two four-year-old boys also died, pupils at a nursery school in the Ealing area of west London and Buckinghamshire respectively. While a six-year-old boy in Surrey who contracted the infection died late last month.
Rates of scarlet fever, which is caused by streptococcus group A bacteria are more than four times higher than usual, with 851 cases reported between November 14 and 20, compared with an average of 186 cases recorded in previous years, according to official figures.
What is scarlet fever
Infections caused by group A bacteria are usually mild with symptoms such as sore throat or skin infections. However, the microbe can cause scarlet fever, which, in most cases, is successfully treated with antibiotics and patients make a full recovery.
However, in a very small number of cases, group A streptococcus infection can penetrate deeper into the body, for example, into the lungs and blood, causing a disease known as invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS), which is much more difficult to treat.
There are a number of symptoms that can be a sign of an invasive infection, such as high fever, poor appetite for food, dehydration, swollen red tongue and severe drowsiness, according to Dr Colin Brown, deputy director of the UKHSA. In these cases, parents should be alert and "see a doctor as soon as possible so their child can be treated before the infection becomes serious."
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