An eighth child is now believed to have died after contracting an invasive form of Strep A bacteria.
The headteacher of a primary school in Hampshire reportedly said that staff are "absolutely devastated" by the loss of one of their pupils who died with the infection. The school has said that it is working to raise awareness among parents and carers in its community of the symptoms of Strep A following the sad news.
It comes after a high school year eight pupil in London became the seventh child to die with Strep A since September. Last week, a six-year-old died after an outbreak of the infection at a school in Surrey, while a pupil from Victoria primary school in Penarth, near Cardiff, also died with the illness.
