• 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

Should Parents In The US Be Worried About Strep A?

December 9, 2022 by Deborah Bloomfield

It’s a worrying time to be a parent in the UK. Official data for England shows that the country is seeing higher than usual case numbers of two diseases caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria: scarlet fever and invasive group A Streptococcus (iGAS). Media coverage has often focused on the impact on young children. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are looking into the possibility of a matching increase in iGAS cases in the US.

Most of the infections with group A Streptococcus, known simply as group A Strep or Strep A, are caused by one particular bacterial species: Streptococcus pyogenes. Although lots of people are carriers of this bacterium without any problems, it can cause various illnesses. Many people will be familiar with strep throat, a sudden-onset painful throat infection caused by this bug. It’s also associated with the skin infection impetigo.

Advertisement

However, in rare cases, Strep A infection can lead to more serious disease. Scarlet fever causes flu-like symptoms, before progressing to a rash that feels like sandpaper. It can be treated with antibiotics. iGAS results from the bacteria entering the bloodstream and, while this is rare, it can have very severe consequences, leading to conditions like streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. The symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and nausea and vomiting. This can rapidly progress to low blood pressure, elevated heart rate, and organ failure.

Sadly, 15 children under the age of 15 are now reported to have died from iGAS in the UK since September. Although infections are up across the board, children appear to be slightly worse affected than usual. “While the rate of iGAS infection is elevated in all age groups, incidence in children aged under 10 has been particularly high compared to levels reported in the last peak season preceding the COVID-19 pandemic,” says the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Whilst there is some hope that Strep A infections could start to level off in parts of the UK, it’s understandable that some in the US are worried about the possibility of a similar pattern of disease across the pond.

Advertisement

Dr Barbara Mahon of the CDC told reporters on Monday that the agency had “not heard of any notable increase” in Strep A infections, according to USA Today.

Nonetheless, the CDC advises parents to learn the symptoms of iGAS, and to seek medical care quickly if they suspect an infection. By 24 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment, the person will no longer be contagious, so getting prompt medical help can also have a big impact on the spread of the infection.

It is also important for children to be up to date with their vaccinations, particularly for seasonal flu – catching the flu can put you at greater risk of getting iGAS.

Advertisement

With widespread reports of antibiotic shortages in UK pharmacies (although government officials insist that there is no national shortage), plus huge pressures on health services already battling flu, RSV, and COVID-19, the Strep A news paints a concerning picture. It’s important to remember, though, that iGAS remains a rare disease.

“There a lots of winter bugs circulating that can make your child feel unwell, that mostly aren’t cause for alarm,” Dr Colin Brown, deputy director of the UKHSA, told the BBC.

While the CDC continues to keep an eye on Strep A infection trends among US kids, knowing what to look out for could help alleviate some of the anxiety that parents may understandably be feeling. It’s also worth remembering that rapid tests for Strep A are available, so seeking medical advice sooner rather than later could help nip any infection in the bud.

Deborah Bloomfield
Deborah Bloomfield

Related posts:

  1. Motor racing – Russell says he’ll start on equal terms to Hamilton
  2. Meru Health raises $30M for ‘holistic’ online mental health platform
  3. Generali CEO wins board backing amid shareholder row
  4. Brazil’s Guedes says offshore investments are legal and were declared

Source Link: Should Parents In The US Be Worried About Strep A?

Filed Under: News

Primary Sidebar

  • World’s Oldest Pots: 20,000-Year-Old Vessels May Have Been Used For Cooking Clams Or Brewing Beer
  • “The Body Is Slowly And Continuously Heated”: 14,000-Year-Old Smoked Mummies Are World’s Oldest
  • Pizza Slices, Polaroid Pictures, And Over 300 Hats: What’s Left Behind In Yellowstone’s Hydrothermal Areas?
  • The Mathematical Paradox That Lets You Create Something From Nothing
  • Ancient Asteroid Ripped Apart In Collision Had Flowing Water
  • Flying Foxes Include The World’s Biggest Bat And The Largest Mammal Capable Of True Flight
  • NASA Responds To Claims That Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Is An Advanced Alien Spacecraft
  • Millions Of Tons Of Gold Are In Earth’s Oceans, Potentially Worth Over $2 Quadrillion
  • The Race Back To The Moon: US Vs China, Will What Happens Next Change The Future?
  • NOAA Issues G3 Geomagnetic Storm Warning As 500,000 Kilometer Hole Sends Solar Wind At Earth
  • Lasting 776 Days, This Is The Longest Case Of COVID-19 Ever Recorded
  • Living Cement: The Microbes In Your Walls Could Power The Future
  • What Can Your Earwax Reveal About Your Health?
  • Ever Seen A Giraffe Use An Inhaler? Now You Can, And It’s Incredibly Wholesome
  • Martian Mudstone Has Features That Might Be Biosignatures, New Brain Implant Can Decode Your Internal Monologue, And Much More This Week
  • Crocodiles Weren’t All Blood-Thirsty Killers, Some Evolved To Be Plant-Eating Vegetarians
  • Stratospheric Warming Event May Be Unfolding In The Southern Polar Vortex, Shaking Up Global Weather Systems
  • 15 Years Ago, Bees In Brooklyn Appeared Red After Snacking Where They Shouldn’t
  • Carnian Pluvial Event: It Rained For 2 Million Years — And It Changed Planet Earth Forever
  • There’s Volcanic Unrest At The Campi Flegrei Caldera – Here’s What We Know
  • 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