Two children under the age of 10 in Scotland have died from strep A since October 3, Public Health Scotland said.
The organization said it was aware of seven deaths among cases of invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) infections between October 3 and December 25.
Two of the deaths were of children under the age of 10.
This compares to between zero and seven deaths reported during the same time period in previous years.
Infections caused by strep A include the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever, and strep throat. Although the majority of infections are relatively mild, sometimes the bacteria cause iGAS, a life-threatening infection in which the bacteria invade parts of the body, such as the blood, deep muscles, or lungs.
Scotland’s Health Secretary Humza Yousaf tweeted: “Any death is a tragedy, especially that of young children, my thoughts are with the families and loved ones affected.”
He added: “Fortunately, most cases of strep A present as a mild illness and can be treated with antibiotics. Working with the UK Government to ensure adequate supply.
“When there is a localized shortage of first-line treatment, there are alternative and effective antibiotics available.”
PHS said there were 869 laboratory reports of group A streptococci (GAS) in the week ending Dec. 25, down from 1,079 the previous week.
This compares with between 300 and 480 reports per week during peaks seen in the 2016 period.
The PHS report said: “Although increases in GAS have been reported in Scotland in recent weeks, iGAS infection rates for 2022 are generally stable and similar to previous years.”
In the week ending December 25, there were 15 reported cases of iGAS across all age groups, compared with 13 the previous week.
This compares with between 12 and 18 cases per week during peaks seen in previous years.
Data from early October to December 25 show that PHS received reports of 20 cases of iGAS in children under 10 years of age.
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