“It hasn’t been seen since before Covid”

In the city there is an ongoing streptococcus epidemic among the children, in recent days many children with bronchiolitis have also arrived in the hospital. It can give fever, vomiting, gastrointestinal problems and even the typical spots of scarlet fever. Streptococcus hadn’t been seen since before the pandemic, but now this bacterium has come back with arrogance to hit the school and pre-school age group. The pediatrician’s offices are full. Ats Insubria has given the order to carry out swabs for diagnosis, as a form of monitoring on a mandate from the Region.

«It’s not such a serious infection, but it’s good to check to avoid possible, albeit rare, complications in particular of the kidneys – explains Roberta Marzorati, a well-known pediatrician from Como – The symptoms can be very varied, from fever to vomiting via gastrointestinal disorders. Including the rash, the red dots of scarlet fever. It is true, we do the swab on the recommendation of the Ats as confirmation of the diagnosis, directly in the clinic ».

This is a bacterial infection, not a virus. «This means that, in these cases, there is little that can be done – Marzorati continues – it is necessary to prescribe an antibiotic. Streptococcus does not have a seasonal pattern, it is present almost all year round. But it had practically not been seen since the arrival of Covid. As indeed has happened to many other forms of infection which are now gradually returning to circulation. Today in the city we are witnessing a strong epidemic ».

Streptococcus is transmitted by air, through coughs and sneezes, hand hygiene is of primary importance. The disease usually spreads after the second year of age, but the highest frequency includes children between the ages of 5 and 15.

At the same time, flu and flu-like syndromes, now declining in the general population and stable for days, still affect children under the age of five, with a much lower incidence than seen in the months of November and December. “There is no longer the Australian flu seen at the end of last year – explains the pediatrician – rather new para-flu forms are circulating, less marked, with more nuanced symptoms”.

In recent days, several children with bronchiolitis have also arrived at the Sant’Anna hospital for the attention of Pediatrics. Hence a more severe viral infection with high fever and shortness of breath affecting the respiratory system which deserves more careful treatment. In this case, in the face of a virus, antibiotics are not needed, but if oxygen therapy, hydration, bronchodilators and antipyretics are needed.

Newborns and infants are mainly affected, generally the cases concern children under one year of age. It was also necessary to transfer a few children to the centers of Cantù and Erba. Fortunately, however, we are far from the emergency levels reached in 2021, with all the pediatric departments of Lombardy in serious difficulty due to bronchiolitis.