Europe is seeing a concerning number of severe Strep A cases and deaths, the World Health Organization said Thursday, warning other countries to be on the lookout for a similar pattern.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also looking into a possible increase in such cases among children, according to the agencys website.
A higher than usual number of cases of invasive Strep A casessome leading to scarlet fever, and usually in children under 10has already been seen this season in France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, the U.K., and Northern Ireland, according to a situation report released Thursday by the WHO.
An alert has been issued to other countries to be vigilant for a similar rise in cases and to report any unexpected increased national or regional incidence to WHO, the report stated.
Strep Aalso known as Group A streptococcusseason may be off to an early start, the report advised. RSV and flu are also off to an early and severe start this year, and are circulating at epidemic levels in the U.S. Combined with the COVID pandemic, public health experts are calling the phenomenon a tripledemic. But an increase in circulation of other virusesincluding influenza-like illnesses like rhinovirus and enterovirus, as well as Strep Ais also being observed in many countries throughout the world, experts say.
Respiratory viruses can lead to a co-infection with Strep A, the WHO said. So, an uptick in such viruses could lead to an uptick in Strep A cases.
Group A Streptococcal infections usually lead to mild illness like tonsillitis, pharyngitis, impetigo, cellulitis, and scarlet fever. But Strep A, a bacteria, infects areas of the body that are usually sterilelike blood, deep muscles, fat, and the lungsit can cause a more severe illness known as invasive Strep A, which can lead to death.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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