Two people have died after respiratory infections with strep A bacteria in Spain, where authorities announced a study into a possible increase in severe cases after those seen in France and the UK recently.
The health authority of the Madrid region announced Wednesday evening the death of two people on December 2 and October 25 after infections with streptococci A, bacteria in particular at the origin of scarlet fever, a benign childhood disease.
According to several Spanish media, the two deceased people are children.
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A total of 16 cases have been detected in the capital region, which “has been studying, since December 5, whether the frequency of invasive streptococcus A diseases (meningitis, septic shock or pneumonia) is currently higher than that detected before the COVID-19 pandemic, following the health alert issued by the United Kingdom,” the authority said in a statement.
In France, streptococcal A infections are experiencing an unusual increase in children, authorities said on Tuesday, calling for vigilance.
In the UK, at least six child deaths have been attributed to strep A infection in recent weeks.
The British and French authorities, however, consider it unlikely that this upsurge is due to the emergence of a new, more dangerous bacterial strain.
Streptococci A can cause either mild or fatal infections, especially when they reach the bloodstream, diseases such as tonsillitis, impetigo (skin infection) and scarlet fever.