Strep A: Investigation into death of Powys child potentially linked to iGas infection

Authorities are investigating whether the death of a child in Powys is linked to the invasive Strep A infection.

Public Health Wales, Powys Teaching Health Board and Powys County Council said an inquiry has been launched following “the recent death of a child in Powys”.

Dr Ardiana Gjini, from Public Health Wales, urged parents “to be vigilant for signs and symptoms” of the “very rare complication”.

She said that people “identified for public health action have already been contacted”.

She continued: “We offer our deepest condolences to the family, friends and all those affected.

“A multi-agency incident management team is following normal processes, and investigating links to Invasive Group A Streptococcal disease (iGAS), a very rare complication of Group A Streptococcal infection.

“People identified for public health action have already been contacted and provided with appropriate treatment and advice.

“Individuals who have not been contacted do not need to take any specific action; however, we remind parents to be vigilant for signs and symptoms of scarlet fever and iGAS.

“While we understand that parents are likely to be worried, cases of Invasive Group A Streptococcal infection (iGAS) remain rare in Wales, and children have a very low risk of contracting the disease.”

There have been 16 confirmed deaths in the UK of children with Strep A since September. Primary school pupil Hanna Roap, from Penarth in South Wales, was among the fatalities.

NHS Wales’s 111 phone line was inundated with more than 18,000 calls over the weekend following concerns about Strep A symptoms – more than double the number of calls taken in the same period last year.

It has prompted the organisation to launch a symptom checker for parents with a traffic light system to help them decide when to seek medical help for their child.

'Usually a mild illness'

Dr Graham Brown, consultant in communicable disease control for Public Health Wales, said: “We understand parents are likely to be worried by reports they are seeing related to rising cases of scarlet fever and we want to reassure them that it is still usually a mild illness from which most children will recover without complications, especially if the condition is properly treated with antibiotics.

“In very rare cases, Group A Streptococcal infection can cause iGAS, a rare complication which usually affected fewer than 20 children in Wales each year.

“Although iGAS is a worrying condition, the majority of these children will recover with proper treatment.”