Four more children die from Strep A as UK death toll reaches 30

Another four children have died from Strep A, health chiefs confirmed today.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed that 25 children in England have now died as a result of the mostly mild bacterial virus.

Two young people have died from the beetle in Scotland and Wales this winter, while one has died in Northern Ireland.

This brings the total number of deaths from Strep A in children in the UK this winter to 30, as the UKHSA urges people who are ill to stay at home.

What are the symptoms of Strep A? How does it spread? And is it the same as scarlet fever? Everything you need to know about the killer virus sweeping Britain

What is Strep A?

Group A Streptococci (Group A Strep or Strep A) can cause many different infections.

The bacteria are commonly found in the throat and on the skin, and some people have no symptoms.

Infections caused by Strep A range from mild illness to severe and fatal illness.

These include the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat.

While the vast majority of infections are relatively mild, the bacteria sometimes cause an illness called invasive group A streptococcal disease.

READ MAILONLINE’S FULL Q&A ABOUT STREP A.

“There are many diseases that circulate in the winter that can make children uncomfortable,” said Dr. Obaghe Edeghere, Head of UKHSA.

“It is therefore important to avoid contact with other people if you are sick, to wash your hands regularly and thoroughly and to catch coughs and sneezes in a handkerchief.”

Serious infections with Strep A, called invasive group A streptococcal infections (iGAS), are rare.

So far this year there have been 151 iGAS cases in children aged one to four in England.

This compares with 194 cases in this age group in the last severe Strep A season, which occurred in the winter of 2017/18.

In children aged five to nine, there were 102 iGAS cases this year, compared to 117 in 2017/18.

The total number of iGAS deaths in all age groups is 122 this year.

There were a total of 355 deaths in the 2017/18 season, including 27 deaths in children under the age of 18, according to the UKHSA.

Although low, the number of UK children who have died from Strep A is higher than expected for this time of year.

27 young people under the age of 18 died from the disease in the last bad winter of 2017/18.

Strep A bacteria can cause a number of other infections, including impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat.

While the vast majority of infections are relatively mild, in extremely rare cases the bacteria can cause invasive group A streptococci (iGAS).

Two of the most serious forms of this invasive disease are necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Both can kill.

There is usually a surge in iGAS cases every three to four years, but social distancing during the Covid pandemic is thought to have broken that cycle.

Some experts have suggested that this may have led to reduced immunity to Strep A in some young people – with a large number of children never having been exposed to the bacteria in their lives.

According to the World Health Organization, high levels of other respiratory viruses — including influenza, RSV and norovirus — can put children at greater risk for strep A co-infections, making them more vulnerable to serious illness.

It comes after Scotland confirmed yesterday that two children under the age of 10 have died from iGAS.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) recorded seven deaths from the Strep A complication between October 3 and December 25, five of them in adults.

It noted that the figure “compares to between zero and seven deaths reported in the same period in previous years.”

Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf tweeted: “Every death is a tragedy, especially that of young children. My thoughts are with the affected families and relatives.”

He added: “Fortunately, most cases of Strep A are mild illnesses and can be treated with antibiotics. Work with the UK government to ensure adequate supplies.

“Where there is a local shortage of first-line treatments, alternative and effective antibiotics are available.”

The two child deaths in Scotland were not mentioned.

Confirmed victims elsewhere in the UK are Muhammad Ibrahim Ali, a four-year-old boy from Buckinghamshire, and Hannah Roap, seven, from Wales.

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From the “tempered” seven-year-old whose father was desperate to save her with CPR, to the four-year-old who loved to explore: Strep A victims so far

Muhammad Ibrahim Ali

The four-year-old attended Oakridge School and Nursery in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

He died of cardiac arrest at home in mid-November after contracting Strep A.

He was prescribed antibiotics.

His mother, Shabana Kousar, told the Bucks Free Press: “The loss is great and nothing can replace it.

“He was very helpful around the house and quite adventurous, he loved exploring the forest school and enjoyed it, his best day was a Monday and said Monday was the best day of the week.

Muhammad Ibrahim Ali, who attended Oakridge School and Nursery in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, died after contracting the bacterial infection

Hannah calls

The “bubbly” and “beautiful” seven-year-old is the only child to die from Strep A in Wales so far.

Her devastated parents told how their “hearts were broken into a thousand pieces.”

The first signs of infection were mild. Hannah’s father, Abul, took his daughter to the doctor after her cough worsened overnight.

She was prescribed steroids and sent home, but died less than 12 hours later.

Mr Roap remembers how he desperately tried to revive his child: “She stopped breathing at 8pm, but we didn’t know straight away because she was sleeping.

“I did CPR, I tried to revive her but it didn’t work. Paramedics came and resumed CPR, but it was too late.”

Mr Roap said the family were “absolutely devastated” and were awaiting answers from the hospital.

The family believes that if she had been given antibiotics initially, she would have survived.

Hanna Roap, who attended Victoria Primary School in Penarth, Wales, died last month after contracting Strep A. Her family say they are “traumatized” by her death.

Stella Lily McCorkindale

Five-year-old Stella-Lily McCokindale died after contracting Strep A, the first death from the infection in Northern Ireland.

She died in the Royal Belfast Hospital on December 5.

In a tribute on social media, her father Robert said the couple “loved every minute” they spent together on scooter and bike rides.

“If prayers, thoughts, feelings and love could have worked, she would have walked out of the hospital with her father’s hand,” he said.

Stella-Lily attended Black Mountain Primary School, which said she was “a bright and talented little girl” and described her death as a “tragic loss”.

Five-year-old Stella-Lily McCokindale, who attended Black Mountain Primary School in Belfast, died in early December after contracting Strep A

Jax Albert Jeffreys

A five-year-old boy who died of Strep A was misdiagnosed with the flu, his family said.

Jax Albert Jefferys, of Waterlooville, Hampshire, died on December 1.

His mother, Charlene, told how she sought medical advice three times in the four days before Jax’s death and was told he had influenza A. She described Jax as a “sassy little guy”.

Later tests showed that he did have Strep A.

Jax Albert Jefferys, a five-year-old from Waterlooville, Hampshire, died of Strep A on December 1.