West Ealing Primary School Pupil Dies from Strep A Infection

Health authorities working with council to monitor situation

St John's Primary School, West Ealing. Picture: Google Streetview

December 6, 2022

A child attending St John’s Primary School in West Ealing has died from a Strep A infection.

Health officials have not confirmed the name or the age of the child at this stage who was the fourth to die in the current round of infections.

Information on identifying the infection has been sent to parents of children at the school in Green Man Gardens.

Dr Yimmy Chow, health protection consultant at the UK Health Security Agency, said, "We are extremely saddened to hear about the death of a child at St John's Primary School, and our thoughts are with their family, friends and the school community.

“Working with Ealing Council public health team, we have provided precautionary advice to the school community to help prevent further cases and we continue to monitor the situation closely."

In a statement the council said, “We send sincere condolences to the family and the school community.

“We have been working with the school to ensure children and staff are receiving support and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has provided information which has been shared with all parents at the school.”

Immunologists believe children may have become more vulnerable to Group A streptococcus infections as a result of reduced mixing during lockdown. The bacteria can cause a range of different infections for which the symptoms can be relatively mild or potentially fatal. It also causes scarlet fever which initially manifests itself with flu-like symptoms after which a rash appears. A white coating can also appear on the tongue which peels, resulting in ‘strawberry tongue’ which is red and swollen and covered in small bumps.

Dr Colin Brown, Deputy Director, UKHSA, said, “We are seeing a higher number of cases of Group A strep this year than usual. The bacteria usually causes a mild infection producing sore throats or scarlet fever that can be easily treated with antibiotics. In very rare circumstances, this bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause serious illness – called invasive Group A strep (iGAS). This is still uncommon; however, it is important that parents are on the lookout for symptoms and see a doctor as quickly as possible so that their child can be treated and we can stop the infection becoming serious. Make sure you talk to a health professional if your child is showing signs of deteriorating after a bout of scarlet fever, a sore throat, or a respiratory infection.”

Ealing Council also shared advice on the signs and symptoms of Group A Streptococcal infections, and what to do if you think your child develops these.

The advice is:

The most common infections caused by Group A streptococcus are mild:

sore throats (strep throat)
fever
scarlet fever
minor skin infections.

Further information is also available at NHS Choices.

If you are concerned, contact NHS 111 or your GP practice. If appropriate, your GP can arrange for testing and treatment with antibiotics if necessary.

In very rare cases, this infection can be more serious. Although the risk is very small, it is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of a more serious Group A streptococcal infection, which are detailed below:

very high fever
severe muscle aches
localised muscle pain
unexplained diarrhoea or vomiting.

If someone becomes ill with some of these symptoms, seek urgent medical help by calling 111.

If you have serious concerns about your child (e.g. loss of consciousness or breathing difficulties), ring 999.