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Girl, 5, dies of extremely rare Strep A infection at school in west London
22 March 2023, 11:00
A five-year-old pupil at a west London primary school has died after contracting an invasive Strep A infection.
Parents of children at St Saviours C of E Primary School have been urged to look out for warning signs of the bacterial infection, although fatal cases are very rare.
The vast majority of Strep A infections only lead to mild symptoms, including sore throats, fever and minor skin infections.
But in rare cases it can cause a life-threatening invasive Group A Streptococcal infection (iGAS), as it breaks through the body's defences and enters areas where it is not normally found, including the blood, lungs or muscles.
In a letter sent to parents, seen by LBC, the UK Health Security Agency says: "We recognise that this news will be a shock for the whole school community and we, UKHSA are working with the school to provide support and advice."
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The agency urges parents to take their children to their GP if they develop any Strep A symptoms within the next 30 days, even if they are mild.
It says children will be asked to stay off school for 24 hours and start a course of antibiotics if they're deemed to have the infection.
"Although the risk of another case of invasive disease in the school is very small, it is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of iGas infection."
Signs of this more serious form of Strep A include high fever, severe muscle aches, localised muscle pain and unexplained diarrhoea or vomiting."
More details be found here, and parents are urged to call 111 and inform their children's school if they do suffer from more serious symptoms.
The UKHSA told LBC that it is now working with Westminster City Council to provide public health advice following the death of one of St Saviours' pupils.
Health protection consultant at UKHSA London, Sara Atkin, said: “Our thoughts are with the family, friends and school community following the sad death of a child who attends St Saviour's C of E Primary School in Maida Vale.
“We have provided precautionary advice to the school to help prevent further cases and we continue to monitor the situation closely.
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“Strep A infections usually result in mild illness, and information has been shared with parents and staff about the signs and symptoms. These include a sore throat, fever and minor skin infections, and can be treated with a full course of antibiotics from the GP.
“In rare instances, it can cause a serious invasive infection, known as iGAS. Anyone with high fever, severe muscle aches, extreme pain or swelling of the skin, and unexplained vomiting or diarrhoea should call NHS 111 and seek medical help immediately.”
However in February three-year-old Theo Emm, from Westbury, Wiltshire, died suddenly of Strep A despite hardly showing any symptoms, his family said.
They said he was feeling a bit "lethargic" the night before but otherwise seemed fine before he collapsed the following morning while watching cartoons.
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Around 40 children in England have now died after contracting invasive Strep A since the latest season began in September, according to the UKHSA.
There have been at least 319 deaths across all age groups so far this season, the agency adds.
"While iGAS is still very rare, notifications remain relatively high in children compared to what we typically see – these rates are more in keeping with the previous high season of 2017 to 2018," it says on its website.
"There continue to be increased notifications in older adult age groups, and as in previous seasons, the majority of iGAS cases have continued to be among those aged over 45 years, particularly in those aged over 75 years."
LBC has contacted St Saviours C of E Primary School for comment.
