Strep A bacterial infection kills at least 30 children in UK

LONDON

At least 30 children in the UK died from the Strep A bacterial infection since September, according to official figures.

“Sadly, so far this season there have been 122 deaths across all age groups in England. This figure includes 25 children under 18 in England,” the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in its update.

In addition, three deaths of children were also reported in Northern Ireland and Wales combined, while Public Health Scotland confirmed the deaths of two children, bringing the total number to 30.

The UKHSA recorded 151 invasive Group A Streptococcal infection (iGAS) cases in children aged one to four between Sept. 19 and Dec. 25, compared to 194 cases in the same age group across the whole season of 2017 to 2018.

However, the country's health agency said that iGAS infections remain rare and most cases continue to be in the over-45s.

“There have been 33,836 notifications of scarlet fever this season, compared to 4,672 at the same point in 2017 to 2018,” the UKHSA said.

Group A streptococcus (GAS) or Strep A is a type of bacteria often found in the throat and on the skin. It can be spread through coughs and sneezes as well as skin-to-skin contact.

It is also known that deaths from the infection are rare.