Strep A: Why it can be dangerous and what to know

Health officials accidental parents should beryllium alert of an corruption called Strep A aft another UK kid died from it.

Since Covid restrictions eased, determination are much opportunities for infections similar this to spread. Cases person been expanding successful caller weeks.

While astir radical bash not get highly sick, the highly contagious bacteria that causes the corruption tin origin superior unwellness and complications.

It's a bacteria sometimes recovered successful the pharynx oregon connected the skin. Many radical transportation it harmlessly without adjacent knowing, but they tin dispersed it to others who mightiness go ill.

People tin drawback it done adjacent interaction and from coughs and sneezes.

Outbreaks tin sometimes hap successful places similar schools and attraction homes.

Most often, symptoms are mild - a sore pharynx oregon a tegument corruption that tin beryllium easy treated with antibiotics.

But Strep A tin origin a scope of things - and immoderate of them are much serious.

One is scarlet fever, which mostly affects young children and, again, needs antibiotics. It is simply a notifiable disease, meaning wellness professionals indispensable pass section wellness extortion teams of suspected cases truthful they tin beryllium treated rapidly and imaginable outbreaks brought nether control.

It causes a rash and flu-like symptoms, including a temperature, sore pharynx and swollen cervix glands. Someone who has scarlet fever whitethorn person what doctors telephone a strawberry lingua (because the quality looks a spot similar a strawberry).

Very rarely, Strep A tin besides origin thing called invasive radical A streptococcal corruption oregon iGAS.

Invasive illness happens erstwhile the bacteria get past your body's immune defences. This tin hap erstwhile you are already sick oregon are connected treatments, specified arsenic immoderate crab therapies, that impact your immune system.

Warning signs of invasive illness include:

Urgent, aboriginal aesculapian assistance is essential.

The UK Health Security Agency advises: "Anyone with precocious fever, terrible musculus aches, symptom successful 1 country of the assemblage and unexplained vomiting oregon diarrhoea should telephone NHS 111 and question aesculapian assistance immediately."

If you deliberation your kid whitethorn person immoderate symptoms from Strep A past you should talk with your doctor. Tell them if you person been successful interaction with idiosyncratic who has had Strep A recently.