Strep A Doncaster: Parents warned after positive case in city school

Parents of youngsters at Armthorpe Southfield Primary School have received letters after a Strep A infection was confirmed, along with cases of chicken pox and scarlet fever.

The note, sent out to parents last week, said: “We have a confirmed case of Group A Streptococcus in school.

"We have also seen several cases of chicken pox and scarlett fever in school."

The potentially deadly bacteria has claimed the lives of several young children across the UK in recent weeks, but in nearly all cases, is a mild and non-serious infection.

The letter added: “Scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, but it is highly infectious. Therefore, look out for symptoms in your child, which 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.

“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.

“Our policy states that if your child has scarlet fever or Group A Strep please allow 24 hours from the start of the antibiotic treatment before returning to school.

Scarlet fever, the symptoms of which include a rash, temperature, sore throat and swollen neck glands, is caused by the strep A bacteria but is not usually serious and can typically be easily treated.

It is only when the bacteria overcome your body’s immune defences, leading to iGAS, that the infection usually becomes more serious and in some cases fatal. The warning signs of this include a temperature above 38C, severe muscle aches, pain in one area of the body and unexplained vomiting or diarrhoea, with people advised to seek urgent medical help if these symptoms are present.

The number of scarlet fever cases in the UK has recently increased above the levels expected at this time of year, particularly among children aged under 10 years old, and nine children in the UK have died with rare but severe bacterial strep A infections since September.