AS SCARLET fever and Strep A cases continue to rise cross the country, Cumbria's director of public health has revealed a rise in the amount of schools in Cumbria contacting his team with regards to the virus, in comparison to previous years.
Although scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, the government has warned of 'above seasonal levels' of the virus in a letter sent to parents by the UK Health Security Agency.
It is understood that, throughout the country, 15 children have also died of Strep A, with the north west having the highest scarlet fever rates in England, according to new figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The north west has 13 cases per 100,000 residents in the latest 10-week period recorded, with 957 cases in total.
One Carlisle nursery practitioner told the Cumberland News of the fear there has been from some parents who have children in the nursery... but says they are introducing a 'whole host' of steps to try and stop any spread, if a child in that nursery was to catch the virus.
Steps include encouraging children to wash their hands regulary and use hand sanitizer, as well as singing songs and educating them on germs, and removing activities that would be considered more likely to spread germs, for example playdough activities in the nursery.
Cumbria's director of public health Colin Cox has said that the council have seen a rise in schools contacting the public health team in relation to suspected and confirmed cases of scarlet fever in recent weeks, compared to the last two years.
However, he emphasised that in the vast majority of these cases the symptoms in which people experience are usually those of a 'mild illness'.
Mr Cox said:“Group A streptococcus (GAS) is a common bacteria. Lots of us carry it in our throats and on our skin and it doesn’t always result in illness.
"However, GAS can cause a number of infections, the vast majority of which are mild, though in rare cases it can result in serious illness.
“We have seen an increase in the number of schools contacting the public health team in relation to suspected and confirmed cases of scarlet fever over the last two weeks, compared to previous years, which is being monitored by the UKHSA.
“Scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, but it is infectious, and we would urge the public not to panic but to be aware of the symptoms in your child, which include a sore throat, headache, fever, a fine, pinkish or red body rash with a sandpapery feel, and eventually a bumpy rash on the tongue.
“If you suspect your child has scarlet fever, please contact NHS 111 or your GP because early treatment with antibiotics is important to reduce the health impact and the risk of spreading the infection.
“Please also remember if your child has scarlet fever, keep them at home until at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment to avoid spreading the infection to others.”
Scarlet fever
The most common type of Strep A infection is scarlet fever. There were 851 cases of scarlet fever reported so far this year compared to an average of 186 over the same period in the preceding years.
By definition, scarlet fever is a common childhood infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A Streptococcus (GAS).
It is not usually serious, but should be treated with antibiotics to reduce the risk of complications (such as pneumonia) and spread to others.
North Cumbria Integrated Care Trust has issued some advice to parents across Cumbria have given advice to parents on how to look out for signs that an 'invasive infection' is developing - and told people to look out for such symptoms in their children.
Although the trust say that the large majority of childen suffer from scarlet fever as a mild illness, it did highlight the 'small proportion of children who can develop 'serious infections' such as phenomonia and sespsis as a result.
Dr Olaniyi Kehinde, consultant in paediatrics at NCIC, said: “Group A Streptococci (GAS) are bacteria that can cause illnesses such as scarlet fever, tonsillitis (throat infection) and impetigo (skin infection).
"While most of these are usually mild illnesses that can be easily treated with antibiotics, the bacteria is highly infectious. A small proportion of children can go on to develop serious infections such as pneumonia (chest infection) and sepsis (bloodstream infection) as a complication of invasive Group A streptococcus (iGAS).
“Parents should look for symptoms that indicate an invasive infection is developing, such as a continued raised temperature, lethargy or floppiness, not eating or drinking as usual, and lack of urination.
“There are lots of viruses that cause sore throats, colds and coughs circulating at this time of the year. These should resolve without medical intervention.
"However, children can on occasion develop a bacterial infection on top of a virus and that can make them more unwell.
“Look out for symptoms in your child, which include a sore throat, headache, and fever, along with a fine, pinkish or red body rash with a sandpapery feel.
"On darker skin, the rash can be more difficult to detect visually but will have a sandpapery feel.”
READ MORE: Advice issued after rise in scarlet fever cases in schools and nurseries
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