Health and wellness
Scarlet fever and streptococcus, cases on the rise. What is going on
For several months there has been a surge in group A streptococcal (GAS) infections, even in more violent forms, and scarlet fever, especially among children and young people under 15. The Ministry of Health invites us to intensify surveillance measures: “Immediate treatment is important, invasive disease risk is low”
Since January 2023, there has been an increase in cases of scarlet fever in Italy, especially in children and young people under 15 years of age. Already during 2022, several European countries (France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom) had recorded an increase in cases of invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS) disease and in some cases also of scarlet fever. The report arrived a few days ago from the Ministry of Health, which in a circular invited the intensification of surveillance measures and the provision of adequate communication
“Group A strep infection commonly causes mild forms of the disease such as tonsillitis, pharyngitis, and scarlet fever. Group A strep (GAS) is considered the most common cause of bacterial pharyngotonsillitis in school-age children, but it can also affect children smaller”, reports the ministry
“In rare cases, GAS bacteria can cause a serious infection known as invasive GAS disease (iGAS)”, underlines the ministry which reports that “children recovering from viral infections such as chickenpox or influenza are at greater risk of developing an iGAS infection”. At the moment, the risk of invasive infections for the general population is considered low, given that “the reported cases are not caused by a new strain and that the disease is easily treatable with antibiotics”