Two children under the age of 10 have died of strep A in Scotland, officials said Strip A

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Public Health Scotland said two children under the age of 10 had died from a bacterial infection since October 3.

The organization said it was aware of seven deaths among invasive group A streptococcal infections between October 3 and December 25.

Two of the deaths were children under the age of ten.

She said this compared to between zero and seven deaths reported during the same time period in previous years.

Infections caused by Strep A include skin infections, impetigo, scarlet fever, and strep throat. While the vast majority of infections are relatively mild, the bacteria sometimes cause iGAS, a life-threatening infection in which the bacteria invade parts of the body, such as the blood, deep muscles, or the lungs.

Scotland’s health minister, Hamza Yusuf, wrote on Twitter: “Every death is a tragedy, particularly that of young children, and my thoughts are with the affected families and loved ones.”

He added: “Thankfully most cases of Strep A are mild and treatable with antibiotics. Working with the UK government to ensure adequate supplies.”

“When a local shortage of first-line treatments occurs, effective alternative antibiotics are available.”

PHS said that in the week ending Dec. 25 there were 869 lab reports of group A streptococcus (GAS), down from 1,079 in the previous week.

This compares to between 300 and 480 reports per week during peak periods observed in the period since 2016.

The PHS report said: “Although increases in gassing gases have been reported in recent weeks in Scotland, iGAS infection levels for 2022 were generally stable and similar to previous years.”

In the week ending December 25, 15 cases of iGAS were reported across all age groups, compared to 13 in the previous week.

This compares to between 12 and 18 cases per week during peak periods observed in previous years.

Data from the beginning of October to December 25th shows that the Public Health Service has received reports of 20 cases of iGAS in children under the age of 10.

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