A case of Strep A has been detected in Merseyside after a sixth child dies.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed a person in Knowsley has contracted the invasive bacterial infection. The diagnosis comes as six children have died after contracting the illness, known by its full name as Group A streptococcus.
There have been five recorded deaths within seven days of an invasive Strep A diagnosis in children under 10 in England this season. A child under the age of 10 has also died in Wales after contracting the disease.