Public Health Wales and Powys Teaching Health Board are investigating links to Invasive Step A after the death of a child in Powys. They said that links between the death and a "very rare complication of Group A Streptococcal infection" is being looked into on Wednesday, December 14.
Dr Ardiana Gjini a consultant in Communicable Disease Control for Public Health Wales, said that people "identified for public health action have already been contacted" and those who have not been contacted do not need to take any specific action. The age of the child is not yet known.
The symptoms of the contagious infection include a fever, a sore throat and severe muscle aches. Some people can have the bacteria present in their body without feeling unwell or showing any symptoms of infections and while they can pass it on, the risk of spread is much greater when a person is unwell. The virus spreads through close contact.
Read more: Strep A symptoms, how long it's contagious for and how it spreads
Earlier this month it was confirmed that one child to have died after contracting the infection was even-year-old girl Hanna Roap from Penarth. Her father said the family are "traumatised" and "devastated" by her death just 24 hours after becoming ill with the bacterial infection and coming home from school with a mild cough.
There have been 15 confirmed deaths of children with strep A since September. While the infection is still incredibly rare, parents are being advised to "be vigilant for signs and symptoms".
NHS Wales' 111 phone service took more than 18,000 calls on the weekend - more than double that of the same period last year - amid concern about strep A symptoms.
Dr Gjini said: "Public Health Wales is working with Powys Teaching Health Board and Powys County Council following the recent death of a child in Powys. We offer our deepest condolences to the family, friends and all those affected." They said they cannot comment on individual cases.
“A multi-agency Incident Management Team is following normal processes, and investigating links to Invasive Group A Streptococcal disease (iGAS), a very rare complication of Group A Streptococcal infection.
“People identified for public health action have already been contacted and provided with appropriate treatment and advice. Individuals who have not been contacted do not need to take any specific action, however we remind parents to be vigilant for signs and symptoms of scarlet fever and iGAS.
“While we understand that parents are likely to be worried, cases of invasive group A streptococcal infection (iGAS) remain rare in Wales, and children have a very low risk of contracting the disease.”
What are the symptoms of Strep A?
The types of iGAS (invasive Group A strep ) infection include bacteraemia (a bloodstream infection), necrotising fasciitis (a severe infection involving the death of areas of soft tissue) and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, which can lead to low blood pressure and multi-organ failure.
The common symptoms of iGAS infection are:
- Fever (a high temperature above 38°C)
- Sore throat or tonsillitis
- Severe muscle aches
- Localised muscle tenderness
- Redness at the site of a wound.
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