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Rare bacterial infection leaves 12 dead in Essex Rare bacterial infection leaves 12 dead in Essex
(about 2 hours later)
Twelve people have died from a rare bacterial infection that has spread in Essex, the NHS has said. Twelve people have died in the Essex area and 20 more have been infected by the spread of a rare invasive bacterial infection, Public Health England has said.
There have been 32 reported cases of the disease, called invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS). The NHS Mid Essex clinical commissioning group said the outbreak started in Braintree and had spread to the Chelmsford and Maldon areas, but did not give a timeline for this. Public Health England said it was a “local incident”. A total of 32 people have been confirmed to have contracted invasive group A streptococcus infection (iGAS). Strep A can be carried harmlessly on the skin but can be lethal if it enters the bloodstream. People whose immune systems are compromised by illness or old age are particularly at risk.
The bacteria can be found in the throat and on the skin and people may carry them without displaying any symptoms. They can live in throats and on hands for long enough to allow easy spread between people through sneezing, kissing and skin contact. Those infected are elderly people receiving treatment for wounds in care homes and in their own homes, according to the NHS Mid Essex. The cases are spread across the Braintree, Chelmsford city and Maldon districts.
In a report, the clinical commissioning group said the “sometimes life-threatening GAS disease may occur when bacteria get into parts of the body where bacteria usually are not found, such as the blood, muscle or the lungs.” Healthy people can develop a relatively mild case of the infection such as “strep throat” that they can shake off, but could infect others through coughing or sneezing without realising the potential seriousness of the bug.
It added: “Most of the patients affected are elderly and had been receiving care for chronic wounds, in the community, either in their own homes and some in care homes.” Rachel Hearn, the director of nursing and quality at the Mid Essex clinical commissioning group (CCG), said: “Our thoughts are with the families of those patients who have died. The NHS in Essex is working closely with Public Health England and other partners to manage this local incident, and extra infection control measures have been put in place to prevent the infection spreading in the area.
An incident management team has been established to “control the incident and closely monitor the situation”. “The risk of contracting iGAS is very low for the vast majority of people and treatment with antibiotics is very effective if started early. We will continue to work with our partners in Public Health England (PHE) to investigate how this outbreak occurred and take every possible step to ensure our local community is protected.”
Rachel Hearn, the director of nursing and quality at the Mid Essex clinical commissioning group, said: “Our thoughts are with the families of those patients who have died. The NHS in Essex is working closely with Public Health England and other partners to manage this local incident, and extra infection control measures have been put in place to prevent the infection spreading in the area. NHS Mid Essex CCG said an incident management team had been set up, which it was leading with input from Provide Community Interest Company and PHE, and support from NHS England and NHS Improvement.
“The risk of contracting iGAS is very low for the vast majority of people and treatment with antibiotics is very effective if started early. We will continue to work with our partners in Public Health England to investigate how this outbreak occurred and take every possible step to ensure our local community is protected.” Provide is a local social enterprise company that offers health and social care services in community homes and hospitals as well as individuals’ homes.
Group A strep becomes potentially lethal when it triggers sepsis, toxic shock and necrotising fasciitis.
Necrotising fasciitis is very serious, beginning with a red or swollen patch of skin that spreads very rapidly, pain and fever. Patients need rapid intravenous antibiotics and potentially surgery if they are to survive. It is hard to diagnose: by the time a biopsy has been analysed, it may be too late. It can lead to sepsis, shock and organ failure. One in three patients die, even with treatment.
Cases of iGAS have to be notified to . In its latest report to May this year, it registered 1,500 cases notified from September to April in England, which was lower than the previous year but 8% higher than the average for the previous five years.
“While the number of iGAS cases notified through routine laboratory surveillance in England is lower than seen last season, notifications remain at the high end of what would be expected,” said the PHE report.
“Clinicians, microbiologists and HPTs [health protection teams] should continue to be mindful of potential increases in invasive disease and maintain a high index of suspicion in relevant patients as early recognition and prompt initiation of specific and supportive therapy for patients with iGAS infection can be life-saving.”
Dr Jorg Hoffmann, the deputy director of health protection for PHE East of England, said: “All those affected are in vulnerable groups, which puts them at higher risk for what is normally a rarer form of group A streptococcal infection. I would like to emphasise that the risk of contracting iGAS is very low for healthy people and treatment with antibiotics is very effective, if started early enough.
“This is still an evolving situation and colleagues in the provider organisation, the CCG, NHSE/I [NHS England and NHS Improvement] and PHE are working very hard to contain it.”
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