Health warning after spike in children hospitalised with Strep A

Health authorities have raised concerns over a common bacteria which sent more children to hospital in 2022 than in previous years.

Victoria’s health authorities have issued a warning after an increase in Group A streptococcal infections last year. Picture: Supplied.

Health authorities have sounded the alarm over a dangerous bacterial infection which has resulted in dozens of children being sent to hospital.

Victoria’s healthcare watchdog has revealed two children died with Group A streptococcal infections in 2022 and more than 60 were hospitalised.

Often found in the throat and on the skin, the bacterial infection mostly triggers strep throat and scarlet fever, but can lead to invasive infections.

Group A streptococcus is often present in humans without causing any illness or concern.

“In 2022, there was a marked increase in the number of cases of Group A streptococcal infections,” Safer Care Victoria announced.

“There were at least three deaths from invasive streptococcal infections or toxic shock syndrome, including two caused by Group A streptococcus, and many other children required intensive care.”

The healthcare watchdog revealed there were 21 cases reported in the last four months of 2022, similar to the number Victoria sees over the course of an average year.

In 2022 there were more than 60 children admitted to the Royal Children’s Hospital, including 30 with invasive infections. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

According to the national notifiable diseases surveillance system, there were more than 1000 cases of serious invasive streptococcal infections Australia-wide in 2022.

In Victoria, pandemic restrictions reduced the number of invasive streptococcal infections from the 20-25 recorded in an average year down to just three cases in 2020 and four in 2021.

Victoria’s chief health officer, Professor Brett Sutton, said the increase of cases in Victoria was following a trend observed in some European countries.

France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom experienced an increase in cases in the later half of the year, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

These cases mostly affected children under the age of 10.

WHO says there have been no reports of increased antibiotic resistance or new strains of the bacteria, attributing the rise in cases to increased social mixing as Covid-19 restrictions are further reduced.

Professor Sutton said young children, pregnant or post-partum women and the elderly faced a higher risk of developing the deadly disease.

Symptoms can often be mistaken with other ailments and include fevers or chills, dizziness, shortness of breath, headache, nausea, skin infection and abdominal pain.

Safer Care Victoria recommends children showing signs of a serious bacterial infection should be treated “promptly” with antibiotics.