In the United Kingdom, six children who had been infected with the bacteria streptococcus A, died. British health authorities are concerned about a possible new epidemic.
This is a phenomenon that is causing some concern on the other side of the Channel. Six children of British nationality, who had been infected with streptococcal A bacteria, died within a few days. These are bacteria that are normally the cause of scarlet fever, a very often mild infectious disease, which is generally characterized by high fever, sore throat and rash.
In practice, bacteria of type A streptococci can be the cause of benign, easily treatable infections. These are “frequent” contaminations, as recalled the Institut Pasteur on its website, the bacteria being transmitted from human to human. But these infections can prove fatal when the bacterium affects the blood system and turn into bacteremia, necrotizing skin infections, puerperal infections, pleuropneumopathies…
A growing incidence
Thus, on the other side of the Channel, scarlet fever infections are increasing. The UK has an incidence rate of 2.3 cases per 100,000 people this year (compared to 0.5 cases between 2017 and 2019), according to figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Regarding the deaths that have been recorded, the victims died within seven days of the diagnosis of invasive group A streptococcal infection.
The mortality rate linked to this infection remains low: according to data from the British health system, it is 10%, all pathologies combined. But if the infected individual develops meningitis, the mortality rate rises to 20%, and 30% in the case of streptococcal toxic shock. The British authorities have therefore launched a communication campaign, in particular to insist on hygiene rules, which thus make it possible to protect themselves against possible infections (such as hand washing). In case of infection, the Pasteur Institute recommends taking antibiotics.
It remains to be seen how this virus spread to our British neighbors, and why it became so dangerous. Dr Simon Clarke, of the University of Reading, believes the drop in contact during the Covid-19 pandemic could “have caused a drop in immunity population level that could increase transmission, especially among school-aged children.”