Strep A bacteria can cause thousands of infections including ringworm, scarlet fever and strep throat – Children’s cases and deaths skyrocket
A deadly wave of infections from streptococcus A appears to be gradually sweeping the US, while more than a dozen children have died from the bacterial infection in the UK.
Children’s hospitals in five states – Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Washington and West Virginia – report that there is an increase in patients affected by the disease.
At the nation’s largest pediatric hospital, Texas Children’s Hospital, the alarm has sounded, as there are already four times as many patients as last year.
In a teenager in Washington there was a fear that strep A had led in decay and was put on a ventilator for it, while at least two children in Colorado have died from the disease since November.
Strep A infections are usually mild, but cases are on the rise since this year due to the lockdown, children were deprived of exposure to the sun, but also to “good germs”, weakening their immunity.
At the same time, the health authorities of the United Kingdom attribute the wave of infections to the lockdowns and report that they have already led to at least 16 deaths. Other European countries – including France, Spain and Ireland – are also seeing rising trends in cases.
Strep A bacteria can cause thousands of infections, including candle, scarlet fever and strep throat.
While the vast majority of infections are relatively mild, sometimes the bacteria can, in extremely rare cases, cause invasive group A strep (iGAS), a life-threatening complication.
Two of the more serious, but rare, forms of this invasive disease are necrotizing fasciitis and his syndrome streptococcal toxic shock.
Shock syndrome can lead to low blood pressure, multiple organ failure, and death.
James Versalovitz, chief pathologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, told NBC News that the cases they had were “beyond the usual, strep throat.”
His hospital recorded about 60 cases in October and November. Although this number seems low, it is four times higher than the 15 reported infections during the same period last year.
The UK has already recorded up to five times more infections than in its last bad year, with 169 children under 14 years of age have been diagnosed since September.
Health authorities in the country report that the number of dead this year is unusually high.
Sounding the alarm over rising infections in Europe, the World Health Organization said only some countries were reporting cases – meaning the increase could be more widespread.
The WHO noted that the increase comes after a “period of reduced frequency of infections” during the pandemic.
Strep A outbreaks usually peak during the winter months and early spring, with an increase in iGAS infections every three to four years.
But lockdowns, face masks and other restrictions due to the pandemic have likely disrupted that cycle, experts fear.
Like the UK, the US also suffers from lack of amoxicillin – a first-line pediatric antibiotic used to treat strep A.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
