Four suspected cases of scarlet fever reported in South Kesteven

Four cases of suspected scarlet fever, which is caused by Strep A, have been reported in South Kesteven.

A suspected case of the serious invasive Strep A has been reported in South Holland.

The cases are revealed in the weekly report of the Statutory Notifications of Infectious Diseases.

Group A streptococcus (GAS), also known as 'Strep A', is a common bacterium which generally causes mild illnesses. But there have been a small number of deaths in the UK due to the invasive form that can get into the bloodstream.

It's this latter invasive form that has been reported in South Holland - although health officials stress that this is a 'suspected' case at this stage.

Last week's Statutory Notifications show that there were a total of 10 suspected cases reported nationally.

The county council's health protection service says that it is working closely with schools on the matter.

Natalie Liddle, head of service – health protection, said: “At present, there are a small number of Strep A cases in Lincolnshire. UKHSA publish weekly data to indicate rates for Strep A at a regional level, available here.

"The local authority’s health protection service, along with UKHSA, are working closely with schools to help raise awareness of Strep A and understand how best to manage any seasonal and childhood infections that occur within the setting”.

Advice for parents on Strep A can be found here.

The UKHSA has reported that there has also been an increase in scarlet fever.

The four suspected cases of scarlet fever, which is easily treated with anti-biotics, were reported in the South Kesteven district, according to last week's notifications. A total of 14 suspected cases were reported in Lincolnshire.

Dr Colin Brown, Deputy Director, UKHSA, said: "Scarlet fever and ‘strep throat’ are common childhood illnesses that can be treated easily with antibiotics. Please visit NHS.UK, contact 111 online or your GP surgery if your child has symptoms of this infection so they can be assessed for treatment.

"Very rarely, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause more serious illness called invasive group A strep. We know that this is concerning for parents, but I want to stress that while we are seeing an increase in cases in children, this remains very uncommon.

"There are lots of winter bugs circulating that can make your child feel unwell, that mostly aren’t cause for alarm. However, make sure you talk to a health professional if your child is getting worse after a bout of scarlet fever, a sore throat or respiratory infection – look out for signs such as a fever that won’t go down, dehydration, extreme tiredness and difficulty breathing."