A Morecambe nursery has announced that one of its children has tested positive for the bacterial infection Strep A.
Lancaster Road Nursery put out a statement on Tuesday afternoon to confirm the positive test in one of the children who goes to the nursery.
This comes after a rise in the number of UK cases of Strep A in children under 10.
The bacteria group A Streptococcus usually only causes mild sickness but it rare cases it can be fatal.
The statement on the nursery's Facebook page said: "Just to let you know we have had a child from our nursery test positive for Strep A today.
"We are making sure to do extra hand washing and cleaning to help prevent different germs spreading."
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned parents to be on the look-out for symptoms.
Dr Colin Brown, Deputy Director of UKHSA, said: "We are seeing a higher number of cases of Group A strep this year than usual.
"The bacteria usually causes a mild infection producing sore throats or scarlet fever that can be easily treated with antibiotics.
"In very rare circumstances, this bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause serious illness – called invasive Group A strep (iGAS).
"This is still uncommon; however, it is important that parents are on the lookout for symptoms and see a doctor as quickly as possible so that their child can be treated and we can stop the infection becoming serious.
"Make sure you talk to a health professional if your child is showing signs of deteriorating after a bout of scarlet fever, a sore throat, or a respiratory infection."
The Public Health Agency is asking school parents to be vigilant.
The PHA's Dr Philip Veal said the science did not support closing schools amid clusters of strep A infections as this would have limited impact and children would continue to congregate in other settings.
He said there was an increase in infections every four or five years, lasting anything from a couple of weeks to a few months.
What is Strep A?
Bacteria called group A streptococci can cause scarlet fever. These bacteria also cause other respiratory and skin infections such as strep throat and impetigo.
Scarlet fever is usually a mild illness in children and is easily treated with antibiotics, but it is highly infectious.
Symptoms include a sore throat, headache, and fever, along with a fine, pinkish or red body rash with a sandpapery feel.
On darker skin, the rash can be more difficult to detect visually but will have a sandpapery feel.
What should parents do?
If you feel that your child seems seriously unwell, you should trust your own judgement. Contact NHS 111 or your GP if:
- your child is getting worse
- your child is feeding or eating much less than normal
- your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration.
- your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38°C, or is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39°C or higher
- your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or feels sweaty
- your child is very tired or irritable
Call 999 or go to A&E if:
- your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs
- there are pauses when your child breathes
- your child’s skin, tongue or lips are blue
- your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake
Good hand and respiratory hygiene are important for stopping the spread of many bugs. By teaching your child how to wash their hands properly with soap for 20 seconds, using a tissue to catch coughs and sneezes, and keeping away from others when feeling unwell, they will be able to reduce the risk of picking up or spreading infections.
Contact NHS 111 or your GP if you suspect your child has scarlet fever, because early treatment of scarlet fever with antibiotics is important to reduce the risk of complications such as pneumonia or a bloodstream infection.
If your child has scarlet fever, keep them at home until at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment to avoid spreading the infection to others.
How serious is the outbreak?
UKHSA said there were 2.3 cases per 100,000 children aged one to four this year in England, compared to an average of 0.5 in the pre-pandemic seasons (2017 to 2019) and 1.1 cases per 100,000 children aged 5 to 9 compared to the pre-pandemic average of 0.3 (2017 to 2019) at the same time of the year.
During the last high season for Group A Strep infection (2017 to 2018) there were four deaths in children under 10 in the equivalent period.
Between September 12 and November 20 there were 74 reported cases in the North West of England.
Between those dates there were 4,622 cases of scarlet fever, with 957 of these in the North West.
The last week of November saw 861 cases of scarlet fever.
Nine UK children have died in recent weeks after getting the Strep A infection.
It was confirmed today that a five-year-old girl has died from an illness linked to the bacterial infection in Belfast.
Stella-Lily McCorkindale became severely ill last week and was treated at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children but died on Monday.
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