17
Sep 2019
New strain of group A strep spreads throughout England and Wales
The new strain, of Strep A, which causes a variety of infections, from sore throat to scarlet fever, comes at a time of a rise in rare and potentially fatal invasive infections, but does not explain the surge in cases of scarlet fever over the last five years.
Scarlet fever is a highly contagious infection which mostly affects young children. Cases of children with scarlet fever soared in 2014, followed two years later by a rise in cases of invasive strep A, where the infections penetrates deeper into the body and brings about complications such as sepsis.
Strep A consists of several ‘families’, also known as emm-types. Emm1 has been linked in the past to invasive cases and the study showed that it had mutated to develop the new strain.
Speaking of the strain, researcher Professor Shiranee Sriskandan said “We found no trace of it in the UK until about 2010. And it took off between 2011 and 2013, so that by 2016 it represented 80% of emm1 strains – it’s taken over its own family.
“This study doesn’t offer any answers to why scarlet fever came back in 2014. It’s important because although invasive disease is very rare due to strep A, it has quite a substantial impact on the people it affects.
“Mortality from invasive disease is between 15% and 20% – these are very high mortality rates.
“The report sends out an important warning that recent emerging scarlet fever group A strep strains have enhanced invasive potential which may have profound implications for the future.”
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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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