Clinics in the US are struggling with an ‘unprecedented’ increase in strep throat despite the arrival of spring.
Cases of the bacterial infection normally peak in February, but lockdowns and weakened immunity have pushed the surge into March.
A report from Epic Research, which monitors more than 1,000 U.S. hospitals, warned that the number of cases had been high for five years.
The rise is concentrated in children aged four to 13, data suggests, which may be due to Covid social restrictions and masks weakening their immunity by reducing their exposure to good germs.
Parents were warned to watch for the early symptoms of the disease, such as a rash, sore throat and flushed cheeks. There is also the advice to keep children who get the disease at home.
Although strep throat can cause a number of serious illnesses, it usually starts with a few typical symptoms. This includes skin rash, sore throat, flushed cheeks, muscle aches, high fever, ear infection and sores on the skin
The above chart from Epic Research, based in Arizona, shows the percentage of hospital visits due to strep throat recorded in the US between 2017 and 2023. The levels are at their highest point in five years
Data showed strep throat infections were 30 percent higher than their previous peak in February 2023.
A spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the rise, saying it had continued into March, adding that many states saw “higher than normal” case numbers for this time of year.
During the winter months, the triple illness of Covid, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) got so bad that many hospitals were dangerously short of essential medicines.
The increased demand also led to a shortage of commonly used antibiotics such as amoxicillin, which is used to treat ear and sinus infections.
Dr. Sam Dominguez, an infectious disease specialist at Colorado Children’s Hospital, sounded the alarm about cases at the hospital.
He told NBC news“We’ve really seen an unprecedented rise in group A strep — more than we’ve probably seen here, looking back, at least over a decade, and probably longer than that.”
Dr. Maureen Ahmann, a pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Children’s in Ohio, also warned that her practice was seeing an uptick.
“It’s still rare compared to all the other teething problems,” she said, “but we’re seeing a bump.”
Strep throat is caused by a bacteria, medically called Strep A, which can also cause other infections such as impetigo, scarlet fever, and tonsillitis.
It is spread through droplets released when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks and is then inhaled by someone else.
The disease normally causes a mild illness, which may resolve within three to five days. Patients may only need antibiotic treatment.
But in more serious cases, the bacteria can spread to other parts of the body, including the blood and muscles, causing serious complications such as kidney inflammation, scarlet fever, and even sepsis.
Cases of strep throat normally increase between December and April, but data suggests they have risen to record levels this year amid the easing of pandemic-era restrictions.
Children are at particular risk, experts say, because lockdowns have left them exposed to good germs to build strong immunity.
The increase in strep throat cases was revealed by Arizona-based Epic Research, which tracks more than 1,140 hospitals and 24,900 clinics nationwide.
It found that about one percent of emergency department visits in February this year were due to strep throat, above the normal level of about 0.65 percent for the time of year.
The increase is mainly registered in children aged four to nine and nine to thirteen years, where it has already exceeded the peak of five years ago
It was also above the February 2017 peak, when they hit 0.74 percent.
Data showed that about eight percent of visits for children ages four to nine and nearly six percent for children ages nine to thirteen were due to the disease.
A CDC spokesperson said they confirmed they also saw a five-year high in cases, saying that “many states continue to see higher than normal rates.”
They added that this was “particularly in children aged 17 and under and adults aged 65 and over.”
No figures were released on fatalities, but late last year the CDC confirmed at least two deaths from strep throat in children.