The resurgence of streptococcus A infections worries a part of Europe: at least 16 children have died in the UK, two in France and Spain, according to the latest figures from the health authorities. However, health professionals ask for calm.
Yazdan Yazdanpanah, head of the department of infectious diseases at the Bichat hospital in Paris (AP-HP) recalls on BFMTV that the bacterium is known. “It is a fairly common germ, it is this germ that causes angina.”
“It is a bacterium extremely sensitive to antibiotics”
While most strep A infections are mild, they can sometimes take more complicated forms, even being fatal. It is these generally rare cases that are worrisome.
As with the bronchiolitis epidemic, “we say that there are more cases but that it is not more serious,” compares the doctor. “It is not more resistant, it is not a more severe form, but it seems that there are more cases.”
To deal with strep A, “you just have to start antibiotics very early.” Treatments exist and are very effective, as Claire Poyart, director of the National Streptococcus Center (APHP), pointed out in turn on BFMTV.
“It is a bacterium that is extremely sensitive to antibiotics, and for severe forms, we have other antibiotics or amoxicillin that can be given. So there are no major concerns regarding the possibility of treating these children.”
Therefore, if the concern should not predominate, the doctors still ask the French to remain vigilant.
Covid-19 implicated
“At the moment, we don’t know exactly why there are more cases this year,” admits Yazdan Yazdanpanah. A first hypothesis questions the Covid-19 pandemic: the relaxation of barrier gestures after several years of diligence could explain this increase in cases of A streptococcus infections in France.
“There are usually between 1,500 and 2,500 cases a year in France. This is not something rare. And it affects children under 10 years of age in less than 10% of cases. These are the quite rare cases that can be fatal,” Yazdan explains. Yazdanpanah.
Health professionals are then reminded of the importance of barrier gestures, such as wearing a mask or washing hands. These are the most effective ways to contain this outbreak of infection cases, and protect yourself from this bacterium.
Source: BFM TV
