The reporting of cases of streptococcus bacterial infection has increased in recent weeks in Italy
of group A, an infectious agent of streptococcal pharyngotosillitis which can also cause scarlet fever. “Even this growth, as happened with the flu, is a post-Covid effect”: says Susanna Esposito, full professor of Pediatrics at the University of Parma and head of the technical table for infectious diseases and vaccinations of the Italian Society of Pediatrics (Sip ). “Unfortunately it is not possible to quantify the data because, although scarlet fever is a disease for which reporting is required, in reality this is not always done”.
In recent days, there have been reports in Rome, but not only: in Raffadali, a small town in the Agrigento area, the mayor Silvio Cuffaro has decided to close the schools for two days, following the contact of some middle school classes with other infected children of some neighboring countries infected by the bacterium.
Scarlet fever and other streptococcus A infections increase cases and deaths among children in Europe
What is group A beta-hemolytic strep and what diseases does it cause
Group A beta-haemolytic streptococcus, explains Professor Esposito, “causes pharyngo-tonsillitis that cannot be differentiated on the basis of the clinical picture from those caused by other agents. And therefore requires the use of the rapid test, to be performed on a swab pharyngeal, to evaluate whether it is present or not. In fact, about 70% of pharyngo-tonsillitis are of viral origin and in these cases the antibiotic is not needed which, on the contrary, is to be avoided. On the contrary, in cases of beta-haemolytic streptococcus group A serves to avoid complications that can be of different types such as the formation of abscesses or rheumatic disease or post streptococcal glomerulophrenitis”, underlines Esposito, recalling that this infection “generally can be managed in the area, avoiding the by you, and hospitalization is rarely required for the development of complications”.
Why the increase in cases
The increase in cases is linked, as has already been observed for other infections, to the pandemic. “After two years of Covid, during which infectious diseases in children showed a significant drop – highlights the specialist – with the resumption of the new normal we have seen an increase in all infections: between the beginning of November and the end of December we saw a growth the spread of respiratory syncytial virus and influenza virus; we had a second flu peak in February, and since January we have had the high number of group A strep cases.”
Streptococcus and scarlet fever in children, how to recognize the symptoms
Group A streptococcus, how the infection is transmitted
The infection spreads through droplets expelled into the air with coughs and sneezes. Scarlet fever is contagious from the time the symptoms appear until about 24 hours after starting antibiotic therapy. In the absence of treatment, it is contagious for 2-3 weeks. To avoid the spread of the infection, the sick person should remain isolated and, therefore, not go to school or work for at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotic therapy.
The utility of tampons
The significant increase in swabs carried out to detect streptococcus is assessed by Marco Cossolo president of Federfarma, a positive element as it allows you to avoid taking antibiotics if you were instead in the presence of a viral infection. “That of streptococcus swabs is a new service, an opportunity offered and – specified Cossolo – it is possible to do them both in the pharmacy and at home. In our opinion it is appropriate, to avoid false negatives or positives, that it is performed in the pharmacy as it happened for the Covid swabs. Maybe we need to work together, even with the ministry, for any memoranda of understanding “. One of the reasons is also that “the citizen has now learned to use these tools to avoid the use of an antibiotic when it is not the case”.
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by Aureliano Stingi
