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.”