The HSE is investigating the death of a four-year-old boy which could be linked to the bacterial infection known as Strep A.
The Health Service Executive is investigating the death of a four-year-old child which may be linked to the bacterial infection known as Strep A.
According to RTE, Dr. Eamonn O’Moore, director of national health protection at HSE and HPSC, said the disease was just one of several conditions considered a contributing factor.
Speaking to RTÉ’s News at One, he said there have been 55 confirmed cases of invasive group A streptococcal disease (iGAS) in Ireland so far this year.
Dr. O’Moore said that two deaths have been associated with this disease, both in older people.
The Health Protection Surveillance Center (HPSC) said that of the 55 cases of iGAS in Ireland this year, 14 were in children under 10 years of age compared to 22 cases in children under 10 years of age recorded in the same period in 2019.
The HPSC said “has been a small increase in Invasive Group A Streptococcal (iGAS) in Ireland since the beginning of October”, reports RTE.
Dr O’Moore said the boy’s death occurred in the public health cluster Area A, which includes the north east of the country and north Dublin.
He said the HSE had seen a reduction in reported strep A infections during the pandemic, adding that there had been a downward trend in terms of reported cases in the years leading up to the pandemic.
Dr. O’Moore said these are common bacteria and a common source of infection that are often “mild and self-limiting.” He said they cause infections like tonsillitis and scarlet fever.
“When things become serious and dangerous is when the bug becomes invasive….this is where the bug gets into parts of the body where it’s not normally found such as the lungs and the bloodstream, and in those circumstances, things can be very serious indeed,” he said, reports RTE.
Dr. O’Moore said symptoms to watch for include sore throat, fever, chills and body aches.
He advised parents to trust their own judgment if they felt their children were getting worse and to contact their GP in that case.
He said that if a child is having difficulty breathing, parents should call 999 or go to the emergency room.
Dr. O’Moore said the disease can be treated with antibiotics and cautioned that it is an infectious disease.
He said they were looking for guidelines on whether close contacts of a case should receive preventive antibiotic treatments.
He said it was reasonable to expect more cases in the coming days and weeks.
A five-year-old boy at a Belfast primary school who reported a severe case of strep A last week has died.
Black Mountain Primary School has described the death of P2 pupil Stella-Lilly McCorkindale as a “tragic loss”.
It said in a statement: “To assist in supporting our pupils and staff at this sad time, additional trained staff from the Education Authority Critical Incident Response Team have been engaged and will be providing support to the school,” reports RTE.
It comes as eight other children in England and Wales have died with a form of strep A.
Strep A infections are usually mild and cannot be easily treated with antibiotics.
Illnesses caused by group A strep bacteria include impetigo, scarlet fever, and strep throat.
There has been a big jump in the number of scarlet fever cases.
If scarlet fever symptoms include sore throat, headache, and fever, apply a fine, pink, or red rash with a “glassy letter” feel.
If skin is darker, the rash may be harder to see but it will be “sandpapery”.
Strep A infections can develop into a more serious invasive group A strep infection (iGAS), although this is rare.
Last weekend, the Northern Ireland Public Health Agency urged parents and caregivers to be aware of the symptoms of scarlet fever after an increase in the number of scarlet fevers in schools and nurseries.
It said this follows two years during the coronavirus pandemic when reported cases were lower than usual.
It said clusters of scarlet fever had been reported in school and nursery schools in Antrim, Belfast, Bangor and Craigavon.
Derry doctor Dr Nicola Herron said that despite the increase in Strep A crashes, there will only be a ‘very small number of cases’ that may have been tragic.
Dr Nicola Herron said GPs were seeing lot of sore throats and chesty coughs persisting for weeks, and while most children are managing, Strep A has a “personality of its own”.
She said you’ll know the signs meant you’ll know the difference between a sick and sick baby, where they don’t drink and eat and are lethargic, urine output decreases, they’re sick and unresponsive to treatment.
Meanwhile, the UK’s Heath Security Agency has confirmed that the local health protection team will be able to provide groups of children with antibiotics in the event of a Strep A outbreak.
UKHSA Deputy Director Dr Colin Browne said there was a ‘long data guide’ which allows the health advocacy team to assess the situation in the school and neglects to consider prophylactic antibiotics for ‘a group of children in certain classes or an entire kindergarten”.
He reiterated that there is no evidence to suggest there has been a change in the circulating strains of Strep A to make them more severe.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.