Health authorities have moved to reassure parents after it was confirmed that an invasive form of Strep A was linked to the death of a four-year-old child in Ireland. The Health Service Executive (HSE) had been investigating whether invasive Group A streptococcal had been a factor in the death of the child in the north east area of the country.
“We can now confirm that invasive Group A Streptococcal infection was found to be the cause of the infection associated with their death,” it said. Public health staff are supporting the family as well as the school the child had attended.
Health authorities have contacted schools and childcare providers with information on Strep A infections, including scarlet fever and other winter viruses. The Chief Medical Officer Breda Smyth and health authorities have stressed that while it is a worrying time for parents, most children who get ill from a Strep A infection will have a mild illness which can be treated with antibiotics.
