Israel on alert for strep A, which has killed 151 in the UK since September

Strep A, which has killed 151 people in the UK since September, has Israel on high alert:

The Health Ministry exhorts physicians to educate patients about a bacterium that typically results in sore throats and other flu-like symptoms but can sometimes be quite dangerous.

The spread of the strep A infection, which recently resulted in 29 infant deaths in the UK, has drawn the attention of Israel's Health Ministry.

A painful throat and flu-like symptoms are frequently brought on by streptococcus, sometimes known as strep. However, the bacteria can occasionally become invasive, growing in the blood or other organs and leading to a number of illnesses.

Meningitis, scarlet fever, toxic shock syndrome, and necrotizing fasciitis are a few examples of them. These have the potential to be fatal or seriously ill.

Streptococcus bacteria are divided into several "groups," which are indistinguishable to those who contract them. Group A, often known as Streptococcus pyogenes, is the present focus of attention.

The World Health Organization recently reported an increase in invasive infections brought on by strep A, but it gave no explanation for why this is happening. Reports from at least five nations, including the Netherlands, France, Ireland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, served as the foundation for its revelation.
On Friday, Australia confirmed two paediatric deaths caused by the infection. Since September, there have been 151 strep A-related deaths in the UK (including both child and adult mortality), and the season is still reportedly in full swing. U.K. death29 youngsters have already outnumbered those from the most recent harsh season in 2017 and 2018.

In a letter to physicians on Monday, the Health Ministry's epidemiology division stated that it was keeping an eye on the strep A outbreak and "thought fit to increase the awareness of the medical teams on the matter."

It claimed that previously uncommon strep A strains are now more prevalent, leading to a "increase in invasive morbidity." Strep A cases decreased during the peak of the pandemic, but they increased in the second half of 2021 and remained high through 2022, according to the report.

Professor Hagai Levine, an epidemiologist at Hebrew University and the head of the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians, advised parents not to worry but to exercise caution instead.

Along with COVID-19, the flu, RSV, and other health conditions, he said, "it's unquestionably another health condition parents should be aware of."

According to him, medical authorities should concentrate on "monitoring, surveillance, and raising awareness," stressing that invasive strep A is well treated with antibiotics when discovered in time.

In a recent statement on strep A, the World Health Organization stated that there were "no reports of growing antibiotic resistance," which encouraged medical professionals to believe that medicines can successfully treat infections.

Sneezes, coughs, and skin-to-skin contact are all ways that the strep bacteria spread. The elderly and anyone with a weaker immune system, such as those with long-term medical issues, are the persons most at risk of an infection becoming invasive.

Levine advised parents to consult a doctor if their child is unresponsive, has a high fever, or behaves in a strange way. He recognised that it can be challenging for parents to determine whether their child is gravely unwell, but advised them to "follow their intuition" and seek medical attention if their behaviour is unusual.

"An invasive infection is described when there is penetration of the germs into sterile places such as the circulatory system, the lungs, and soft tissues such as muscle and fat," the Health Ministry stated in its letter. High attentiveness "may contribute to rapid diagnosis," it was emphasised.