Four more children in England die from Strep A bringing UK total to 30

Credit: AP

At least 122 people have now died from Strep A - 25 of whom are children - in England, new figures show.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed there have been four more deaths, bringing the total of children who have died in the UK after contracting Strep A to 30.

The latest update comes after two more children under 10 were confirmed to have died in Scotland - the first to be recorded north of the border.

According to the UKHSA, there have been 151 cases of the invasive infection in children aged one to four so far this season in England.

This is compared to 194 cases in that age group across the whole year of the last comparably high season in 2017 to 2018.

There have been 102 cases in children aged five to nine years, compared to 117 across 2017 to 2018.

In the 2017 to 2018 season, there were 355 deaths in total across the season, including 27 deaths in children.

What are the main symptoms of Step A?

Strep A is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can be extremely serious, but is treatable.

It can cause a lot of different illness, but tends to begin with a few typical symptoms.

These symptoms include:

  • A rash

  • Sore throat

  • Flushed cheeks

  • A swollen tongue

  • Severe muscle aches

  • High fever

  • Localised muscle tenderness

  • Redness at the site of a wound.

It is spread through coughs and sneezes with cases most common during the winter period.

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