UKHSA update on scarlet fever and invasive group A strep

UKHSA update on scarlet fever and invasive group A strep Latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) continues to show an out of season increase in scarlet fever and group A streptococcus infections and a higher number of cases than seen in a typical year.

So far this season (from 19 September to 25 December) there have been 33,836 notifications of scarlet fever. This compares to a total of 4,672 at the same point in the year during the last comparably high season in 2017 to 2018 – although cases in that season started to rise at a different point. In 2017 to 2018 there were 30,768 scarlet fever notifications overall across the year.

See also:

• Strep A: At least 30 children have died in UK since mid-September BBC News
• Another four children die of Strep A as UK's death toll hits 30 The Daily Mail
• Strep A: 122 deaths recorded across all age groups in England in the past four months The Independent
• At least 30 children in UK have died from invasive Strep A Sky News