Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
CHILD , 6 , DIES AS PRIMARY HIT BY BACTERIA OUTBREAK
Another pupil taken to hospital
A BOY of six has died and another pupil is being treated in hospital after a bacterial outbreak at a primary school.
The Year One pupil died after contracting the IGAS infection.
A second pupil in Year Two was showing “positive signs of recovery” in hospital yesterday. Health officials said they are monitoring the situation following the cases at Ashford Church of England School in Surrey.
Antibiotics have been recommended to staff and pupils affected.
Parents have been warned about the symptoms of invasive Group A streptococcal, which include high fever with severe muscle aches, isolated pain, vomiting or diarrhoea.
The school emailed news of the boy’s death to parents, with staff expressing their “deepest regret and sadness”. Group A streptococcus, or Strep A, is passed on by physical contact or through droplets from sneezing or coughing.
It is known to cause scarlet fever and strep throat infections, and, in very rare cases, serious illness.
This can occur when bacteria get into parts of the body where they are not usually found, such as the blood, muscles or the lungs. This could happen through an open wound or a depleted immune system.
Dr Claire Winslade, of UK Health Security Agency South East, said: “We have provided advice to the school to help prevent further cases and will continue to monitor the situation.”