US, Europe See Increase in Strep Infections

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently reported an increase in the number of cases of strep infections in Europe, specifically invasive Group A streptococcal (iGAS) disease.  

According to WHO, a number of European countries—including France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom—have shown an uptick in iGAS cases among children under 10 years of age. In France and the United Kingdom, the number of iGAS cases observed in children has been seven times higher than pre-pandemic levels for the equivalent period of time. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), as of the beginning of December, there had been 74 deaths across all age groups in England this season due to iGAS, including 16 children under the age of 18. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also currently investigating “a possible increase” in iGAS infections among children in the United States. According to NBC News, children’s hospitals in Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and Washington are reporting a higher-than-average number of iGAS cases this season. The Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, the largest pediatric hospital in the nation, is seeing a fourfold increase in cases. Colorado Public Radio (CPR) also reported that two pre-school children in the Denver area have died from the disease.

Symptoms of iGAS

According to CDC, iGAS infections include both necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.

Early symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis include:

• A red, warm, or swollen area of skin that spreads quickly
• Severe pain, including pain beyond the area of the skin that is red, warm, or swollen
• Fever.

Later symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis include:

• Ulcers, blisters, or black spots on the skin
• Changes in the color of the skin
• Pus or oozing from the infected area
• Dizziness
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Diarrhea or nausea.

Early symptoms of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome include:

• Fever and chills
• Muscle aches
• Nausea and vomiting.

Later symptoms of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, which indicate that the disease has become much more serious, include:

• Hypotension (low blood pressure)
• Tachycardia (faster than normal heart rate)
• Tachypnea (rapid breathing)
• Organ failure (signs that organs are not working properly, such as a failure to urinate or yellow skin and eyes).

Preventing Strep Infections

Techniques for preventing strep are very similar to preventing the risk of viral diseases. They include:

• Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze
• Putting used tissues in the waste basket
• Coughing or sneezing into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands, if you don’t have a tissue
• Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Using an alcohol-based hand rub if soap and water are not available.
• Adhering to good wound care (keeping cuts clean and covered and seeing a doctor for severe punctures and deep wounds).
• Cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces regularly.