There were 20 confirmed cases of scarlet fever in Nottinghamshire in the last full week of November - with 124 reported in the East Midlands. Nottingham had six cases, while Derby had two.
In total, 861 cases of scarlet fever were reported throughout England and Wales. Eight cases of the more serious invasive Group A Strep - also known as iGAS - were noted across the UK during the same time frame.
Parents have been warned to be on the lookout for symptoms of scarlet fever, which is passed on by physical contact or through droplets from sneezing or coughing. In the vast majority of cases, children will make a full recovery after a mild illness.
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Parents are encouraged to contact their GP or call NHS 111 if their child is getting worse, feeding or eating much less than normal, had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more, is under three months with a temperature of 38C, or is older than three months and has a temperature of 39C or higher and they are very tired or irritable. Call 999 or go to A&E if your child is having difficulty breathing, their skin, tongue or lips turn blue, or they are floppy and will not wake up or stay awake.
Below is a breakdown of the number of cases scarlet fever in each region.
England and Wales total - 861
East Midlands total - 124
- Derbyshire - 24
- Leicestershire - 22
- Lincolnshire - 16
- Northamptonshire - 17
- Nottinghamshire - 20
- Derby - 2
- Leicester - 16
- Nottingham - 6
- Rutland - 1
West Midlands total - 48
- West Midlands - 15
- Staffordshire - 8
- Warwickshire - 12
- Worcestershire - 6
- County of Herefordshire - 5
- Stoke-on-Trent - 2
North East total - 34
- Tyne and Wear - 8
- County Durham - 10
- Middlesbrough - 6
- Northumberland - 5
- Redcar and Cleveland - 5
North West total - 137
- Cumbria - 16
- Greater Manchester - 27
- Lancashire - 27
- Merseyside - 32
- Blackburn with Darwen - 4
- Blackpool - 3
- Cheshire East - 12
- Cheshire West and Chester - 8
- Halton - 8
- Warrington - 5
Yorkshire and the Humber total - 46
- South Yorkshire - 4
- West Yorkshire - 25
- North Yorkshire - 8
- Kingston upon Hull - 1
- North East Lincolnshire - 2
- North Lincolnshire - 2
- York - 4
East of England total - 128
- Cambridgeshire - 14
- Essex - 15
- Norfolk - 22
- Hertfordshire - 33
- Suffolk - 19
- Bedford - 3
- Central Bedfordshire - 5
- Luton - 2
- Milton Keynes - 8
- Peterborough - 3
- Thurrock - 4
London total - 103
- Inner London - 44
- Outer London - 59
South East total - 134
- Buckinghamshire - 5
- East Sussex - 7
- Hampshire - 25
- Kent - 9
- Oxfordshire - 11
- Surrey - 20
- West Sussex - 10
- Bracknell Forest - 1
- Isle of Wight - 22
- Newbury - 1
- Portsmouth - 5
- Reading - 1
- Slough - 4
- Southampton - 1
- West Berkshire - 2
South West total - 5
- Devon - 1
- Gloucestershire - 2
- Somerset - 1
- Bournemouth - 1
Wales total - 101
What is Strep A?
Strep A is a bacteria which is sometimes found in the throat or on the skin. A lot of people carry it harmlessly without even knowing - but they can spread it to others who may become ill.
People can catch it through close contact and from coughs and sneezes. This means outbreaks can sometimes happen in places like schools and care homes.
Most often, symptoms are mild - a sore throat or a skin infection which can be easily treated with a course of antibiotics. But Strep A can cause a range of things - and some of them are more serious.
One is scarlet fever, which mostly affects young children. Scarlet fever requires antibiotics.
Very rarely, Strep A can cause iGAS. This can be deadly.
Since September, nine children have died across the UK from iGAS. For more information, visit the NHS website.
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