People at risk who have had close contact with invasive streptococcus A infections are being prescribed antibiotics to stem the rise in the incidence, according to the British Health Agency.
Women who are 37 weeks pregnant or later, new mothers and their babies, people over 75 years of age, and people who have had chickenpox in the past week are given the drug if they have been in close contact with people with invasive streptococcus (iGAS). even if they don’t have symptoms.
Close contact usually means that someone lives in the same house, sleeps in, shares a kitchen in a student house, or lives in the same student house in a boarding school. In nursing homes, only those who sleep in the same bedroom with an iGAS patient have close contacts.
Previously, antibiotics were recommended only for close contacts who also had symptoms of streptococcus A, such as fever, sore throat and skin rash, or for newborns whose mothers had the disease.
UKHSA steps up action against Strep A infection due to one of the worst seasons for the bacterium in years. However, the move is likely to put an additional strain on antibiotic stocks as pharmacists report they are still in short supply despite the government’s efforts to restock stocks.
Since the beginning of September, 16 children have died from iGAS in the UK, 14 of them in England. But the disease also affects older people: in England, 23 people have died among people over 75, representing 38 percent of all people under 60 across all age groups.
According to the latest figures from the UKHSA, there were 652 cases of iGAS in England between September and November, with a peak of 91 in the last week of November. This is more than double the iGAS average for the same period in the previous five years, and higher than the 454 recorded over that period during the last worst season of 2017-18.
That number is expected to rise when the UKHSA releases its latest case data on Thursday.
The elderly, pregnant women, and their children are particularly susceptible to strep A infection. Chickenpox is a risk factor for strep A infection, and the risk is highest four to five days after the rash appears.
Stocks of antibiotics are running low as the number of cases began to rise in November. Ministers said they are considering providing antibiotics to schoolchildren who have had a case of iGAS, but shortages make this unlikely in practice.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.