2 children died from invasive strep A in Colorado. What to know as CDC issues warning

Invasive strep A infections in children have health officials in both the U.S. and abroad warning about rising cases and reported deaths.

You may have heard about different types of infections caused by group A strep bacteria, such as strep throat, scarlet fever and cellulitis.

But on rare occasions, this group of bacteria can result in invasive strep A infections that have the potential to be deadly, according to the World Health Organization.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is investigating a potential rise in infections among children in the U.S.

In Denver, Colorado, 11 children have fallen severely ill with invasive strep A, including two deaths, since Nov. 1, the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment said in a Dec. 15 news release. The children who died were described as not old enough to attend school.

The same day, the WHO issued a warning about a rise in invasive strep A deaths in children, specifically among those under 10, in the U.K., France, Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden. Thirteen children in the U.K. died within a week of receiving an invasive strep A diagnosis as of Dec. 8 this season, according to the WHO.

“There is no vaccine for group A strep, but keeping up to date on vaccines for COVID-19, flu, and chickenpox can help protect your child from developing complications from a group A strep infection,” Dr. Rachel Herlihy, a Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment epidemiologist, said in a statement.

Officials from children’s hospitals in Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Washington told NBC News that there have been more invasive strep A cases lately than what’s been historically typical.

What to know about invasive strep A

Some symptoms of invasive strep A infections include a high fever, painful muscle aches, sudden diarrhea or vomiting, according to the U.K. Health Agency.

The infections can result in necrotizing fasciitis, a rapidly spreading bacterial infection throughout the body, and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome which is another rapidly developing bacterial infection, according to the CDC.

The agency advises parents to make sure their children are vaccinated against the flu and chickenpox, as both make a child at higher risk for invasive strep A.

“Oftentimes, kids who develop severe group A strep infections will start out with having a viral respiratory infection,” Dr. Sam Dominguez, who specializes in infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital Colorado, told NBC News.

Children’s Mercy hospital in Kansas City, Missouri is also seeing more invasive strep A cases this season, especially over the past several weeks, according to Fortune.

“It’s unusual to see so many cases in such a short period of time,” Dr. Angela Myers, the hospital’s infectious diseases director, told the outlet. “Usually you might see a few invasive cases over the course of winter into early spring. They’re usually not so close together.”

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