• Email Us: [email protected]
  • Contact Us: +1 718 874 1545
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Medical Market Report

  • Home
  • All Reports
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Rise In Scarlet Fever Cases “Significant”, According To UK Authorities

December 23, 2022 by Deborah Bloomfield

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has revised its estimates of the number of scarlet fever cases in the country amid a “significant rise” in infections. The agency is now reporting a total of 27,486 suspected cases of the disease between September 12 and December 18 of this year.

On Tuesday, The Guardian reported that the case numbers were 128 percent higher than previously thought. Since then, new figures published by the UKHSA show that the estimates have gone up even more.

Advertisement

The news comes amid continuing fears of widespread infections with group A Streptococcus, also known as Strep A. The most common species in this group, Streptococcus pyogenes, causes scarlet fever and other diseases like strep throat – and, more seriously, invasive group A Strep (iGAS).

Strep A infections typically follow a seasonal pattern, with most cases of disease arising between February and April. The current rise in scarlet fever cases is, therefore, outside of this typical pattern. The last time there was a similarly bad season was during 2017-18 – across that whole year, the UKHSA recorded a total of 30,768 cases.

As a notifiable infectious disease, doctors in the UK are obliged to report all cases of scarlet fever to public health officials. Health services and pharmacies are currently under huge pressure to meet the increased demand for the antibiotics used to treat the disease, with some parents reporting difficulties in accessing penicillin in their local areas.

Advertisement

The typical symptoms of scarlet fever mirror those of the flu, and can include a fever, sore throat, and swollen glands in the neck. Between 12 and 48 hours after the onset of symptoms, the characteristic sandpapery rash will appear. The disease is more common in children than in adults. Penicillin-based antibiotics are an effective treatment, and UK pharmacies have reported being advised that they can prescribe alternative forms of these drugs in the case of temporary shortages.

The UKHSA stressed that, while scarlet fever may be much more widespread than previously thought, the more serious disease iGAS remains rare. Unlike scarlet fever, the majority of cases of iGAS occur in adults. Very sadly, there have been 94 deaths from iGAS in England so far this season, including 21 children under the age of 18.

“I understand how this large rise in scarlet fever and ‘strep throat’ may be concerning to parents,” said UKHSA Deputy Director Dr Colin Brown in a statement. However, “the condition can be easily treated with antibiotics and it is very rare that a child will go on to become more seriously ill.”

Advertisement

Dr Brown went on to say that any parent or caregiver concerned that a child may have scarlet fever or strep throat should seek medical advice.

Deborah Bloomfield
Deborah Bloomfield

Related posts:

  1. Families of protesters killed in Colombia face long wait for justice
  2. Kremlin says more U.S. sanctions would undermine dialogue hopes
  3. NBA-Unvaccinated players to face extensive COVID-19 curbs – memo
  4. North America’s Rarest Snake Found Choked To Death On Giant Centipede

Source Link: Rise In Scarlet Fever Cases “Significant", According To UK Authorities

Filed Under: News

Primary Sidebar

  • What Is The Ocean’s Longest Fish?
  • Meet Sutter Buttes: “The World’s Smallest Mountain Range”
  • As The Rest Of The World Heats Up, “The North Atlantic Warming Hole” Is Set To Get Even Cooler
  • What Are The White Stripes You Find On Chicken Breasts?
  • The Biggest Explosion Event Since The Big Bang, Dead Sea Scrolls May Have Been Written By Original Authors Of The Bible, And Much More This Week
  • The Strange “Egg-Laying” Rockfaces Of Planet Earth
  • One Of The World’s Largest And Rarest “Fancy Red” Diamonds Has Been Studied For The First Time
  • The Simple Rule That Seems To Govern How Life Is Organized On Earth
  • This Paradisiacal Island In The Philippines Had Advanced Maritime Culture 35,000 Years Ago
  • Neanderthals Faced A Catastrophic Population Collapse 110,000 Years Ago
  • Why Travelers Are Putting Their Luggage In Hotel Bathtubs
  • NSFW Video Shows Two Male Gray Whales Seemingly Having Sex
  • Space Explosions, Dead Sea Scrolls, And Why It’s So Hard To Sex A Dino
  • This Image Of Earth (And Saturn) Will Change You
  • Watch Inquisitive Humpback Whales Blow Bubble Rings At Whale Watchers
  • How Long Did Neanderthals Live For?
  • Want To Use Dragons As Dice? Now You Can, Thanks To Math
  • Why Did Humans Start Using Fire? New Theory Suggests It Wasn’t To Cook Food
  • Controversial “Alien’s Math” Has A New Translator. Can He Reform Its Reputation?
  • How To Watch A Rare Daytime Meteor Shower This Weekend
  • Business
  • Health
  • News
  • Science
  • Technology
  • +1 718 874 1545
  • +91 78878 22626
  • [email protected]
Office Address
Prudour Pvt. Ltd. 420 Lexington Avenue Suite 300 New York City, NY 10170.

Powered by Prudour Network

Copyrights © 2025 · Medical Market Report. All Rights Reserved.

Go to mobile version