Bacteria such as Strep A are on the rise in Australia. Photo / Thinkstock
Bacteria such as Strep A are on the rise in Australia. Photo / Thinkstock
A killer bacteria that has claimed the lives of dozens of children in the UK is now spreading in Australia.
Cases of Strep A, also known as group A Streptococcus, have doubled in Western Australia in the past three months and Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria have all seen a spike in cases too.
The bacteria, which can be found in the throat and skin, can be deadly if left untreated.
Parents are urged to be on the lookout for symptoms like a sore throat, fever, dizziness, headache, and abdominal pain, and to seek medical help immediately upon noticing them.
The illness can be fatal within hours, said Jonathan Carapetis, executive director of Telethon Kids Institute.
“I’d describe it as the nastiest bug you’ve probably never heard of... it’s the sort of bug that can kill you in hours,” Carapetis told The West Australian.
“If a kid is getting sick very quickly, that’s a potential emergency and you don’t wait until tomorrow to see the GP, you take them straight to the emergency department. Literally, children can go to bed and never wake up.”
Strep A claims the lives of over 600,000 people globally each year.
At least 190 people died from the condition in England over their ongoing winter, including 30 children.
One-hundred and thirty-seven cases of invasive group A streptococcus were recorded in NSW between September and December, while there were 36 cases of meningococcal disease over the whole of 2022.
Two children died with Strep A in 2022 in Victoria, with 60 more kids hospitalised.
Some common infections caused by Strep A include streptococcal pharyngitis (strep throat), skin infections like impetigo and cellulitis, and invasive infections like necrotising fasciitis (flesh-eating disease) and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.
Infections can be spread through direct contact with an infected person, or through contact with contaminated surfaces.
Strep A infections are usually treated with antibiotics, and people with a weakened immune system are at higher risk of developing severe infections.
Prevention measures include washing hands regularly, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, and promptly treating skin infections to prevent them from spreading.
There are four key signs of Group Strep A to watch out for, according to the UK’s NHS. These are:
The invasive version of the disease happens when the bacteria break through the body’s immune defences. This can happen if you’re already feeling unwell or have an immune system that’s weakened.
