Strep A cases on the rise in Australian children: here are the symptoms of infection you should be aware of

An unusual spike in severe cases of strep A in Australia has led to calls for a vaccine to prevent the deadly infection.

The number of children hospitalized with strep A rose from 23 in 2020 to 107 in 2022, the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute found.

The children experienced symptoms including toxic shock syndrome and aggressive skin infections.

The strep spike in Australia mirrored a similar rise in the Northern Hemisphere, despite the differences in seasons.

“This increase is likely due to a combination of environmental factors and viruses in circulation,” said Dr Yara-Natalie Abo of the institute.

“More research is needed into whether new strains may be responsible.”

Strep A causes sore throat, scarlet fever and skin ulcers, affecting approximately 750 million people worldwide and killing 500,000 people each year.

The bacteria disproportionately affects young children, the elderly, pregnant women and Indigenous Australians.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent Streptococcus A, but researchers are working on an effective and accessible vaccine.

“We hope this research will accelerate vaccine development and move things forward to larger field trials,” said Institute Professor Andrew Steer.

“A vaccine against Streptococcus A will save hundreds of thousands of lives each year and prevent millions of infections that send children and adults to the hospital or doctor.”

HOW TO STRIP A SPREAD?

What is Strep A?

Group A Streptococcus (Group A Strep or Strep A) bacteria can cause many different infections.

The bacteria are commonly found in the throat and on the skin, and some people have no symptoms.

Infections caused by Strep A range from minor illnesses to serious and fatal illnesses.

They include the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever, and strep throat.

While the vast majority of infections are relatively mild, sometimes the bacteria cause a disease called invasive Group A Streptococcal disease.

What is Invasive Group A Streptococcal Disease?

Invasive group A strep disease is sometimes a life-threatening infection in which the bacteria have invaded parts of the body, such as the blood, deep muscles, or lungs.

Two of the most serious but rare forms of invasive disease are necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.

Necrotizing fasciitis is also referred to as the “flesh-eating disease” and can occur if a wound becomes infected.

Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome is a rapidly progressing infection that causes low blood pressure/shock and damage to organs such as the kidneys, liver and lungs.

This type of toxic shock has a high mortality rate.