What we know so far about strep A child deaths in the UK

The person is Michael Le Page.

The deaths of eight children in the UK are said to have been caused by the rare but severe side effects of the infection. We know what we know.

What is strep A?

Strep A is a bacterium that is common around the world. Many people don't experience any symptoms when they carry the bacteria in their mouth and throat, but in some cases it can become harmful and lead to a range of problems.

A very sore throat is one of the most common symptoms. Strep A can cause a rash that feels like sandpaper, as well as a cold and headaches.

The eight children's deaths were caused by iGAS, a disease caused by the group A streptococcus, which is rarely seen. There are early symptoms that include a rash and abdominal pain.

How does strep A spread?

saliva and mucus are used to spread the germs.

People can become carriers if they share cups or utensils with someone who is sick or if they breathe in droplets after someone coughs or sneezes.

People can get scarlet fever at any age, but it's more common in young kids. People over the age of 75 are more likely to be affected by the disease. There have been no older people who have died from the current outbreak.

Can strep A be treated?

I agree. Antibiotics can be used to treat the infections. Administering antibiotics lowers the risk of an illness.

Is eight deaths higher than usual?

There was a previous outbreak of Strep A in the UK. Four children under the age of 10 years old died of strep infections in the last two years.

The deaths have occurred in children under the age of 10.

Why have there been more deaths in children than usual this year?

There is a possibility that it is a result of a high strep A infection rate this year after a very low rate. During this time, protective measures, such as face masks, were used to ward off other infections as well as the SARS-coV-2 coronaviruses.

In other words, a lot of kids who didn't get strep A in the last two years are getting it this year.

According to Shamez Ladhani at St George's Hospital in London, there is a resurgence of viral infections.

Is the infection rate higher than in previous years?

We don't know the total number of infections that occur in the UK, but scarlet fever and group A streptococcus are both notifiable diseases, meaning doctors must inform health authorities of any cases.

The number of cases of both conditions is at its highest level for this time of year since at least 2017).

In England this year, there have been 2.3 cases of Invasive Strep A per 100,000 children, compared with an average of 1.5 over the course of the last two years.

Could a more dangerous strain of the bacterium be to blame?

The strains that cause these cases don't seem to have changed in the last year.

The strains that were already in circulation are the same ones we are seeing.

A strain of S. pyogenes that produces nine times as much toxin as other strains has been circulating in the UK since the beginning of the year.

Have there been deaths in other countries?

There aren't any reports of a higher-than- expected number of deaths among children from the UK.

Invasive strep A is the leading cause of death around the world. There are 300,000 deaths a year from rheumatic heart disease, which is caused by strep A. rheumatic heart disease is rare in high-income countries where antibiotics are used to treat the infections.