Concern has been raised by the news that children have died from streptococcus A in Britain this season. Doctors are sounding the alarm in schools and telling parents to take action. "We are seeing a higher number of group A strep cases this year than usual," Dr. Colin Brown, deputy director of the U.K. Health Protection Agency, said Friday.
Although the bacteria cause usually mild infections, he said, in rare cases it can cause more serious health effects. In fact, he urged parents to be wary of symptoms and seek medical help as soon as possible if their child starts to show signs of deteriorating health. Jim McManus, president of the Association of Directors of Public Health in Britain, expressed similar concerns to the BBC, telling the network that the number of serious cases will increase. "We seem to have forgotten that there is strep A," he said. "In some cases we may have thought it was gone because we were thinking about other infections."
Note that in Greece, EODY announced yesterday that it is monitoring the UK data and is alert to the early detection of similar cases in our country. As noted, although infections are still uncommon, there has been an increase in cases in the UK in recent weeks beyond expected levels, based on pre-pandemic COVID-19 records. The increase is mainly in children under the age of 10 and unfortunately, a small number of deaths have been recorded.
The New York Times presents a list of symptoms and other important information that parents should be aware of in order to protect their children.
What is group A strep?
Group A strep is a common bacteria that can be found in the throat or on the skin, according to the UK Health Protection Agency. The bacteria does not always cause illness, but can cause tonsillitis, sore throat, skin rashes, scarlet fever and waxy skin. In older people, very young children or immunocompromised people, the bacteria can also sometimes enter the bloodstream and cause a more serious illness known as invasive group A streptococcus, or iGAS.
Necrotizing encephalitis, necrotizing pneumonia and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome are some of the infections caused by iGAS. They often cause death.
Is it contagious?
Yes. Group A streptococcus is highly contagious and is transmitted through close contact with an infected person. It could be transmitted in a number of ways, including coughing, sneezing or contact with a wound, doctors said.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms may include sore throat, fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and rash. The most serious infections associated with group A streptococcus come from invasive group A streptococcus, (iGAS). This can occur when a person has open wounds that allow the bacteria to enter tissue, from lesions in the respiratory tract after a viral illness, or in a person who has reduced immunity to an infection due to an underlying disease or medication.
I am a parent. What can I do?
Trust your own judgment, health officials said. You should contact a doctor for a number of reasons, including if your child is getting worse, if you notice your child is eating less than normal, if you notice signs of dehydration or if your child feels very tired. Parents should call emergency services if they notice that their child is having trouble breathing or notice pauses in a child's breathing.
You should also pay attention to good hand and respiratory hygiene. This means frequent hand washing with soap and warm water for 20 seconds and using tissues to cover coughs and sneezes to stop the spread of viruses.
How can we stop the spread of infections?
Good hand hygiene and following personal protective measures is important to stop the spread of the pathogen. Teaching your child how to wash their hands properly with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, use tissue for coughing and sneezing and stay away from others when they feel unwell reduces the risk of transmitting and contracting infections.
Source: newsbeast.gr
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