A massive wave of infections with group A streptococci is currently alarming the health authorities in Great Britain. An unusual number of children have already died from the bacterial infection that causes scarlet fever, among other things.
London/Bremen – It is a worrying development that is currently emerging in Great Britain: Already 15 children have died there since September in connection with a streptococcus infection – an unusually high number. According to media reports, only one or two such deaths per winter are usual. Since infections with the pathogen are currently increasing and children in particular are becoming seriously ill, the British health authority UKHSA has now sounded the alarm: Parents and doctors should be more vigilant and pay attention to the first signs that could indicate A streptococci.
Scarlet fever cases in the UK are increasing at an unusual rate – authorities are alarmed
The reports about this strong increase also make experts in Germany sit up and take notice, because the health system in Germany is already groaning under the burden of increased and severe respiratory infections. Especially children’s hospitals are because of the massive spread of the Respiratory syncytial virusshort RSV, already at the limitthen the youngest are particularly badly affected by the disease. There are other illnesses that come with it influenza or the coronaviruswhich of course also affect children. Experts had already predicted an escalation in Germany warned.
In addition to RSV, flu and corona, are we now also threatened with a wave of scarlet fever?
According to the British health authority, 851 cases of scarlet fever were discovered in the third week of November. In recent years, there have been an average of 186 cases per week. In view of these numbers, there is also growing concern here that it is now possible that in Germany a wave of scarlet fever could threaten – and that while RSV, flu and Corona are currently making the hospitals full.
The childhood disease scarlet fever is caused by Group A streptococci, which cause a sore throat and skin rash
Scarlet fever applies loudly Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) as a classic childhood disease and is one of the most common bacterial infectious diseases in children. The bacteria that cause the disease are the so-called group A streptococci. They are found worldwide and usually cause a sore throat and skin rash. Scarlet fever is highly contagious. The disease therefore occurs more frequently in community facilities such as kindergartens or schools – typically in the colder months of the year.
Scarlet fever can be easily treated with antibiotics – after 24 hours there is no longer any risk of infection
Scarlet fever can be effectively treated with antibiotics. As a rule, there is no longer any risk of infection 24 hours after the administration of antibiotics. Without antibiotic therapy, however, patients are contagious up to 3 weeks after the first symptoms – and thus a danger for others who have contact with them. The bacterial infection is usually mild, but in rare cases the disease causes serious complications, as is now increasingly the case in Great Britain.
It is still unclear what the cause is behind the high incidence of scarlet fever
It is not yet clear what caused the unusual increase in A streptococci infections this year. According to the British health authority, there is no evidence that a new strain of bacteria is circulating in the population. The doctor and medical journalist Dr. Christoph Specht said in an interview with RTLthat it can be assumed that the numbers will also increase elsewhere in view of the many cases in England: “Either the wave will come with a delay, or it was already there.” However, there are no official figures on scarlet fever cases in Germany. That Robert Koch Institute (RKI) does not provide data on the number of streptococcal diseases.
Parents should know the symptoms of scarlet fever and pay more attention to early signs
Parents should therefore pay more attention to the typical signs of the disease. Noisy BZgA it comes at the start to the following symptoms:
- Headache, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, chills and rapidly increasing fever
- sometimes abdominal pain and vomiting
- The palate and throat are red, the tonsils are inflamed and may have a white coating
- Lymph nodes in the neck swell severely
To one to two days also show:
- a non-itchy rash all over your body
- very flushed cheeks
- pale skin around the mouth
The most striking feature of scarlet fever, however, is the so-called “raspberry tongue”. The tongue is initially white, after a few days it turns raspberry red. A look down the throat is usually enough for paediatricians to recognize the disease. Because of the clear symptoms, a swab of the pharynx is usually not necessary for a diagnosis, like the British one BBC explained.
The bright red “raspberry tongue” is the typical sign of scarlet fever
Most recently, in the winter of 2017/18, there was an increased number of serious diseases caused by A streptococci, according to the news agency dpa reports. At that time, four children in England died of complications in the same period – significantly fewer than at the moment. There is still no official explanation for the current accumulation. Some experts suspect that many children are affected by the various protective measures in the corona pandemic are less immune than in previous years.
The scarlet fever wave could be a “catch-up effect” of the corona pandemic – just like RSV, flu and Co.
Of the Virologist Alexander Kekulé sees the reason for the increased incidence of respiratory infections in children However, not in a weakened immunity due to the corona protection measures, but in the fact that we are now dealing with a quantitative “catch-up effect” of the last two years. The Swiss virologist Isabella Eckerle pressed it to the WDR science magazine cottage cheese It goes like this: “If you didn’t send any children to school for two years, you would suddenly have very large first classes because you simply didn’t have a first class for two years”.