Strep A: School pupil becomes 16th UK child to die from suspected infection

Sixteen children are now thought to have died in the UK after contracting a suspected invasive Strep A infection.

The UKHSA confirmed on Friday that a school pupil in Sussex had died with the suspected illness, while 13 children aged under 15 have also died in England in September, as well as one child in Belfast and one child in Wales. Investigations are underway by the UKHSA amid an increase in the number of serious infections in children in recent weeks caused by an invasive form of Group A Strep.

While Group A Strep bacteria are common and usually cause mild infections that can easily be treated with antibiotics, such as a sore throat, skin infections like impetigo, or scarlet fever, in rare cases it can lead to serious illness. This is known as Invasive Group A Strep (iGAS), and occurs when the bacteria gets inside parts of the body where is isn't usually found such as the bloodstream or lungs.

READ MORE: How does Strep A bacteria spread, what infections can it cause and how does it become invasive?

Alistair Hill, director of public health at Brighton and Hove City Council where the child went to school, said: “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and the whole school community who will all be deeply affected by the very tragic loss of this young child, and we are providing our support to them at this incredibly sad time. While we cannot comment on individual cases, we ask that the privacy of the family is respected.

“As a precaution, we have also been working closely with the school to raise awareness amongst parents and carers of the signs and symptoms of Group A Streptococcal infections, and what to do if a child develops these, including invasive Group A Streptococcal disease (iGAS).” He also stressed that contracting the disease from someone else is “very rare”.

According to UKHSA data there were 2.3 cases of invasive Group A Strep 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 of 2017 to 2019, while there have also been 1.1 cases per 100,000 children aged five to nine, compared with the pre-pandemic average of 0.3. The UKHSA has said that there is currently no evidence to suggest that a new strain of Group A Strep is behind the rise in cases, saying that this is likely due to high amounts of circulating bacteria and increased social mixing.

Downing Street has advised parents to be "on the lookout" for symptoms of Strep A infection. The spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak added: "The NHS is well prepared to deal with situations like this, working with the UK Health Security Agency."

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