Twenty-nine under-18s have died of the Strep A bug in England since September Five have been recorded in Wales, two in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland More British children have died this winter than during the whole last bad season

More British children have died of Strep A already this winter than they did during the entirety of the last bad season.

Twenty-nine under-18s have died of the usually-harmless bug in England since the season kicked off in September.

For comparison, 27 youngsters died from the bacterial infection during the 2017/18 season, which health chiefs consider to be the last 'bad' year.

Five Strep A deaths have been recorded in Wales this winter, two in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland.

Victims include Stella-Lilly McCorkindale, a five-year-old girl from Northern Ireland, Hannah Roap, a 'bubbly' seven-year-old from Wales, and Muhammad Ibrahim Ali, a four-year-old boy from Buckinghamshire.

Strep A bacteria can cause a myriad of infections, including impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat. The vast majority of cases are mild.

In extremely rare cases, however, the bacteria can penetrate the blood and trigger a life-threatening complication called invasive Group A Strep (iGAS).

Strep A outbreaks tend start to gather speed in the New Year, before peaking in the spring. But cases took off earlier than usual this year.

The UKHSA said there is usually a surge in iGAS cases every three to four years but social distancing during the Covid pandemic 'may have interrupted this cycle and explain the current increase'.

High rates of other respiratory viruses — including flu, RSV and norovirus — may be putting children at higher risk of co-infections with Strep A, leaving them more susceptible to severe illness, the UKHSA suggested.

Dr Obaghe Edeghere, UKHSA incident director, said: 'As children return to school, scarlet fever and strep throat continue to circulate at high levels.

'It is important we all wash our hands regularly and thoroughly and catch coughs and sneezes in a tissue.

'This will help stop germs spreading between children and to other vulnerable groups and will help prevent the spread of other winter illnesses that are currently circulating at high levels, including flu and Covid.

'It’s not too late to take up the free flu and Covid vaccines if you’re eligible – we know that Group A Strep infections can be more serious when combined with another infection like flu.'

Symptoms of a Strep A infection can include a sore throat, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting.

The infection can easily be treated with antibiotics if it is caught early, which also limits the spread and reduces the risk of complications.

Phenoxymethylpenicillin, amoxicillin and clarithromycin are three antibiotics used to treat the bacterial infection.

Health chiefs have advised doctors to have a 'low threshold' for prescribing these to youngsters who have suspected Strep A.

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