Amid warnings about the spread of the potentially lethal Group A Strep infection - which has seen at least nine children die in recent weeks around the UK - cases of related illnesses are growing in our area.
Though often innocuous and responsible for minor illness, Group A Strep bacteria can in rare cases cause scarlet fever or get into the bloodstream and cause a condition known as Invasive Group A Strep (iGAS). Like in the rest of the country, the UK Health Security Agency is reporting increases in both conditions in the North East.
In the two weeks to December 4, there were 93 cases of scarlet fever, though just one - in Redcar and Cleveland - of IGAS. Scarlet fever is "usually a mild illness, but it is highly infectious", according to the UKHSA. While, regarding IGAS, the agency added: "These infections are caused by the bacteria getting into parts of the body where it is not normally found, such as the lungs or bloodstream. In rare cases an iGAS infection can be fatal."
