Six children in England and Wales have died from the infection in recent months
Parents are being urged to look out for a number of symptoms in their children after a huge rise in the number of reported Strep A cases.
Muhammad Ibrahim Ali died at his home in High Wycombe on November 14 after experiencing a cardiac arrest, his heartbroken mother said. Last week a six-year-old died following an outbreak of the same infection at a school in Surrey. Hanna Roap, 7, from Victoria primary school in Penarth, Wales also died after becoming ill.The UKHSA has now issued a rare alert warning parents of the signs to look for.
Dr Colin Brown, deputy director of UKHSA, said: "We are seeing a higher number of cases of Group A strep this year than usual. The bacteria usually causes a mild infection producing sore throats or scarlet fever that can be easily treated with antibiotics. In very rare circumstances, this bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause serious illness – called invasive Group A strep .
Currently, there is no evidence that a new strain is circulating and the increase is most likely related to high amounts of circulating bacteria and social mixing, the UKHSA claimed.
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