The Health Service Executive is investigating the death of a four-year-old child, which may be linked to the bacterial infection known as Strep A.
Speaking to RTÉ's News at One, Dr Eamonn O'Moore, Director for National Health Protection, HSE/HPSC, said that the illness is one of a number of conditions that are being considered as contributory factors.
Dr O'Moore said two deaths had been associated with this illness, both of which were in older people.Separately, a five-year-old child at a Belfast primary school which last week reported a severe case of strep A has died. "A letter has been sent by the school to parents, informing them of our tragic loss and providing information on the support services available through school for our children during this incredibly sad time.
It said this follows two years during the coronavirus pandemic when reported cases were lower than usual. She said:"Two years of lockdown, where we had very little in the way of any infections other than Covid, has meant that our immune systems have gotten a little bit undertrained". "It comes with a rash that feels like sandpaper it's really rough, the tongue becomes red with white spots and children generally get more sick than they were three or four days beforehand and can get swollen glands underneath the chin".
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