Officials said cases of scarlet fever, a contagious disease caused by Streptococcus A, are nearly four times higher than originally thought.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) previously reported 4,622 cases between September and December.
However, due to the sheer volume of cases this season, public health teams have been slower to update statistics. The surge will also put increased pressure on GPs and hospitals, with some delays in reporting, although the source said most of the cases reported by doctors were handled in a timely manner. Scarlet fever is a notifiable infectious disease, which means that all cases must be reported to the health authorities.
The actual number from 12 September to 11 December is 17,695 according to the UKHSA.
This number is nearly nine times higher than the last worst season for streptococcus A and scarlet fever recorded over the same period in 2008, winter 2017-18. It is also likely that the outbreak has not yet peaked this year.
The UKHSA stated that the undercount would not affect invasive streptococcus A (iGAS) data being accurately recorded. To date, IGAS has caused the death of 19 children in the UK.
The higher numbers highlight the enormous pressure on general practitioners and pharmacists for antibiotics to treat scarlet fever. Health Minister Maria Caulfield said on Monday that due to the sheer volume of prescriptions for streptococcal antibiotics, there are five to six times as many as in previous years.
The UKHSA stated: “The dramatic increase in the incidence of scarlet fever and other group A streptococcal infections, as well as increased physician awareness and vigilance, have led to a significant increase in reports of scarlet fever in recent weeks.
“This means that it takes longer for reports of scarlet fever to appear in our published data after processing.”
The agency added that due to the delay in reporting, this does not affect clinical case management.
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.