No new cases of Strep A were recorded across Greater Manchester last week, according to the latest data.
Statistics from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show that, from December 26 to January 1, the city-region did not record a single case of Strep A or Scarlet Fever.
It means that from the start of January 2022, there have been five cases of invasive group A streptococcal disease in Manchester.
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Manchester has the highest number of Strep A cases in the city-region. Oldham has recorded four, as has Tameside, while Bolton has seen two cases of Strep A. Rochdale, Stockport, and Wigan have all confirmed one case each.
The UKHSA says that, nationally, there have been been 151 deaths across all age groups in England. This figure includes 29 children in England.
In 2017-2018, there were 355 deaths, including 27 deaths in children under 18. Despite the figures, doctors have warned parents not to panic.
Dr Obaghe Edeghere, UKHSA incident director, said: “As children return to school, scarlet fever and ‘strep throat’ continue to circulate at high levels and so it is important that we all wash our hands regularly and thoroughly and catch coughs and sneezes in a tissue.
"This will help stop germs spreading between children and to other vulnerable groups and will help prevent the spread of other winter illnesses that are currently circulating at high levels, including flu and Covid.
“It’s not too late to take up the free flu and COVID-19 vaccines if you’re eligible – we know that group A strep infections can be more serious when combined with another infection like flu. Most winter illnesses can be managed at home and NHS.UK has information to help parents look after children with mild illness.
“Deaths and serious illness following group A strep infection are very rare and the infection can be easily treated with antibiotics.
"Speak to a healthcare professional if you think your child is getting worse, for instance they are feeding or eating less than normal, are dehydrated, have a high temperature that won’t go down, are very hot and sweaty or seem more tired or irritable than normal.”
Invasive group A strep (iGAS) cases in Greater Manchester
When GPs diagnose a suspected case of a Strep A infection they are required to notify the UKHSA and infections are then logged in weekly NOIDS (Notification of Infectious Diseases) reports. Analysis of these reports - which provide an early warning of potential outbreaks of serious diseases - shows that doctors in Greater Manchester have identified 18 potential cases of invasive group A streptococcal disease since the start of this year.
As mentioned, no new Strep A or Scarlet Fever cases have been logged in Greater Manchester this week. In total, five suspected cases have been identified in Manchester; four in Tameside; four in Oldham; two in Bolton; and one each in Rochdale, Stockport and Wigan. These are separate from lab-confirmed reports which are only available at a national level and are used to inform overall totals.
Last week, the UKHSA has also received notifications of eight “unspecified” Streptococcal infections and one case of Streptococcal pharyngitis, or “Strep throat” - a bacterial infection that can be easily treated with antibiotics - in Greater Manchester from December 18-25.
Wigan has one of these cases, as does Stockport. Trafford has two, and Salford has five.
See an interactive map of the Strep A cases below:
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