One person in Greater Manchester has been diagnosed with Strep A, the UK Health Agency has confirmed. The confirmation comes as UK health officials announce the the deaths of six young children and a rise in cases.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said there had been a rise in rare invasive Group A strep this year, particularly in children under 10, with five deaths of under-10s in England since September. A separate case has been reported in Wales, taking the known UK total to six.
Group A strep bacteria can cause many different infections, ranging from minor illnesses to deadly diseases. The range of illnesses includes the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat.
While the vast majority of infections are relatively mild, sometimes the bacteria cause a life-threatening illness called invasive Group A Streptococcal disease.
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The Greater Manchester case was revealed in the UKHA’s latest weekly notification of infectious diseases (NOID) report. This is a list of illnesses that have to be reported to local authorities once they are diagnosed by medics.
The list mainly includes diseases like Legionnaires, Monkeypox and some largely eradicated illnesses like Smallpox and TB. The latest list also shows that a person in Oldham has contracted invasive group A streptococcal disease, or Strep A.
Among the latest deaths was that of a child who attended St John’s School in Ealing, West London. It followed the death of two other children from primary schools in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, and in Ashford, Surrey.
A boy aged four from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire died with Strep A last month, say his parents.
According to UKHSA data, there were 2.3 cases of invasive disease per 100,000 children aged one to four this year in England, compared with an average of 0.5 in the pre-pandemic seasons (2017 to 2019). There have also been 1.1 cases per 100,000 children aged five to nine compared with the pre-pandemic average of 0.3 (2017 to 2019), reports the Press Association.
When looking at the five deaths in England, the last time there was an intensive period of Strep A infection was in 2017/18, when there were four deaths in the equivalent time frame. The UKHSA said investigations are also under way following reports of an increase in lower respiratory tract Group A Strep infections in children over the past few weeks, which have caused severe illness.
It said there is no current evidence that a new strain is circulating and the rises are most likely due to high amounts of circulating bacteria and social mixing.
Strep A is a bacteria sometimes found in the throat or skin. Many people carry it without developing any symptoms - but they can still spread it to others who might become ill through close contact and from coughs and sneezes.
In most cases, symptoms are mild, such as a sore throat or a skin infection that can be easily treated with antibiotics. But it can cause a range of different illnesses including serious diseases like scarlet fever.
In extremely rare cases it can cause invasive group A streptococcal infection or iGAS. This happens when bacteria get past the body's natural defences. Warning signs include fever and severe muscle aches.
The UK Health Security Agency advises: "Anyone with high fever, severe muscle aches, pain in one area of the body, and unexplained vomiting or diarrhoea should call NHS 111 and seek medical help immediately."
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