A three-year-old girl from Landes died on November 28 of an invasive streptococcal A infection. Last week, British health authorities called for vigilance after the death of six children, under the age of ten, in following this infection.
What is a streptococcal infection?
What are the symptoms and how to treat it?
Le Figaro
takes stock.
What is a streptococcal infection?
Streptococcus A is a bacterium well known to doctors, as it is responsible for many
mild infections
, such as angina, impetigo or scarlet fever.
The bacteria is located in the throat.
In some cases, it can cause
invasive,
sometimes fatal infections.
“
The bacterium goes into organs, in the blood, in the lungs or even in the joints in adults.
And this can give a manifestation which is particularly severe which is called toxic streptococcal shock
”, explains Anne-Claude Crémieux, infectious disease specialist at Saint-Louis hospital in Paris.
What are the symptoms of strep A?
You can be a carrier of strep A and not have any symptoms.
"
This is called asymptomatic carriage
," says Anne-Claude Crémieux.
In general, infections caused by this bacterium can be manifested by fever, vomiting, rashes - which are reminiscent of scarlet fever - and sore throat-.
On the other hand, if a child with some of these signs
deteriorates
- that is, if he stops eating, has extremely high temperatures, or begins to have difficulty breathing- you have to worry.
“
These severe infections, when they are not recognized early enough, can then require resuscitation, and unfortunately in some cases can lead to death
”, comments the infectiologist.
Is strep A contagious?
Streptococcus is located in the throat, so it can be transmitted by air, but
in very close contact
, unlike the coronavirus.
“
When a patient has streptococcus A or scarlet fever, we say that we must avoid putting him with other children nearby and possibly wearing a mask for 24 hours
,” says Anne-Claude Crémieux.
But the advantage is that it is very sensitive to antibiotics.
The measure can be lifted after 24 hours.
How to treat strep A?
Antibiotics are currently the standard treatment for streptococcal infections.
There is currently no vaccine.
“
They have been treated since 1945 with penicillins, they are still very sensitive to amoxicillin.
This is why it is important to identify severe manifestations early because they are treated well.
It is perhaps the only bacterium that remains sensitive to the first antibiotics
, ”tells us the infectiologist.
Are cases increasing?
Anne-Claude Crémieux notices an increasing trend even if these infections remain rare: “
Since the 2010s, there have been regular articles which report that these invasive streptococcal infections tend to increase, while remaining rare.
But there is an increasing trend that is noted regularly, which is also seen in the hospital.
".
“
This trend has been described in France, the United States, Canada, Israel and England
,” remarks Anne-Claude Crémieux.
Moreover, the English recommend that parents call if they notice a deterioration in the condition of their child.
"
The objective is to identify these severe manifestations early enough to treat the children as well as possible
", adds Anne-Claude Crémieux.
