A 12-year-old boy is the latest child to die after contracting Strep A, according to reports.
The boy, believed to be a Year 8 pupil from Colfe’s School in Lewisham, is understood to be the first secondary school student to fall victim to an infection caused by the bacteria after a spike in cases in recent weeks.
In a letter reported to have been sent to parents, headmaster Richard Russell said the student’s death was a “huge shock”. He said the school had taken advice from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), but reassured parents that the risk to their children was still low.
It comes as a four-year-old girl is fighting for her life with a Strep A infection at a Liverpool Hospital. Camila Rose Burns has been on a ventilator at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital since Monday.
“When we got here Monday, they said she’s the poorliest girl in the whole of England,” her father Dean Burns told Sky News.
Mr Burns, who lives in Bolton, has pleaded with parents to act quickly if their child falls ill. “When I look back, it still just seemed like a sickness bug. She was really lethargic at times, but her health was improving until she completely changed,” he said.
Health officials are now urging parents to look out for symptoms of scarlet fever in their children following the recent surge in cases.
Symptoms to look out for in your child include a sore throat, headache and fever, along with a fine, pinkish or red body rash with a sandpapery feel. On darker skin the rash can be more difficult to detect visually, but it will still have a sandpapery feel.
Dr Colin Brown, the deputy director of the UKHSA, said that although invasive Group A Strep remains rare, parents should stay vigilant.
“It is important that parents are on the lookout for symptoms and see a doctor as quickly as possible so that their child can be treated and we can stop the infection becoming serious,” he advised. “Make sure you talk to a health professional if your child is showing signs of deteriorating after a bout of scarlet fever, a sore throat, or a respiratory infection.”
According to the most recent data from the UKHSA, the number of scarlet fever cases remains higher than would typically be expected at this time of year. There were 851 cases reported in week 46 compared with an average of 186 in preceding years, the agency said.
The illness is caused by a species of bacteria called Group A Streptococcus. These bacteria also cause other respiratory and skin infections, such as Strep throat and impetigo.
On rare occasions, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause an illness called invasive Group A Strep (iGAS). While still uncommon, there has been an increase in invasive Strep A cases this year, particularly in children under 10.
The UKHSA said investigations were under way following the increase in cases, though there is no evidence that a new strain is circulating.
