Increased mixing and viral illnesses may be contributing causes, however the exact cause of the higher-than-normal number of pediatric deaths this year from the group A streptococcus bacteria is unknown.
Since September, nine children have reportedly passed away in the UK as a result of uncommon but serious strep A infection complications. Here is what we currently know:
What is strep A?
Streptococcus pyogenes, often known as group A streptococcus or Strep A, is a bacterium that is widespread throughout the world. Many people have the bacteria in their mouth and throat without showing any symptoms, but in rare instances, the infection can become dangerous and cause a variety of diseases with varied degrees of seriousness.
The most typical symptom is strep throat, which causes an excruciatingly sore throat. Along with a fever and headache indicative of scarlet fever, a rash that feels like sandpaper may also be brought on by streptococcus A.
The nine children’s fatalities were brought on by invasive group A streptococcus disease, or iGAS, which is a rare condition in which the bacteria enter the blood and produce highly serious diseases. Fever, lightheadedness, confusion, low blood pressure, rash, and abdominal pain are some of the early symptoms.
How is strep A transmitted?
Saliva and nasal mucus are two ways the bacteria are transferred.
Sharing cups or eating utensils with an infected person can cause people to become carriers, as can breathing in droplets after an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Although strep A problems can happen to anyone at any age, scarlet fever is more frequently seen in young children. People over 75 are more likely than youngsters to get invasive strep A. There have been no reports of elderly persons dying from the ailment during the current outbreak.
Is strep A treatable?
Yes. With the help of generally available antibiotics, the infection can be treated. Antibiotics reduce the already extremely low risk of invasive infection in the treatment of strep throat and scarlet fever.
Is nine deaths an unusually high number?
In the UK, strep A-related pediatric mortality are uncommon, however there has previously been an outbreak. High rates of strep infections occurred in 2017 and 2018, and invasive strep A caused the deaths of four children under the age of 10 in both years.
With the exception of one 12-year-old fatality, all of the deaths in the current outbreak have been in youngsters under the age of 10.
Why have there been more kid fatalities this year than usual?
Although no one is certain, there is concern that the high prevalence of strep A infections this year, following a very low rate during the COVID-19 limitations, is to blame. Social interaction was restricted at this time, and face masks and other preventative measures were used to fend off additional infections in addition to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
In other words, many children who didn’t contract strep A in 2020 or 2021 are doing so this year, a phenomenon known as immunity debt.
Additionally, viral illnesses are on the rise once again, and Shamez Ladhani of St. George’s Hospital in London claims that viral diseases raise the likelihood of bacterial infections.
Has the infection rate increased since last year?
Although the actual number of group A strep infections in the UK is unknown, clinicians are required to report any instances of scarlet fever and invasive group A streptococcus to the appropriate authorities.
Although not as high as during the UK’s 2018 spring, which runs from mid-to-late March to mid-to-late June, the number of instances of both diseases is at its highest level for this time of year since at least 2017.
Invasive strep A instances have increased in England this year, with 2.3 occurrences per 100,000 children aged 1 to 4 compared to an average of 0.5 from 2017 to 2019.
Could the bacterium be in a more harmful strain, then?
It doesn’t seem like the strains causing these cases have altered in the last year or two.
According to Susan Hopkins of the UK Health Security Agency, “We are seeing the same strains that were already in circulation.”
But one kind of S. Since 2014, a strain of pyogenes that produces nine times as much toxin as other strains has been circulating in the UK and may be to blame for the rises in invasive strep A illness and scarlet fever.
Has there been any fatalities in other nations?
Outside of the UK, there don’t seem to be any reports of a higher-than-expected number of youngsters dying from invasive strep A illness.
On the other hand, invasive strep A is thought to cause 150,000 fatalities annually worldwide. Another 300,000 people every year pass away from rheumatic heart disease, which is brought on by strep A-induced autoimmune heart injury. In higher-income countries where strep A infections are treated with antibiotics, rheumatic heart disease is uncommon, but it is still widespread in low-income ones.
