Latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on scarlet fever and invasive group A streptococcus cases.
Latest update
The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that scarlet fever notifications are stable and in line with what we would generally expect to see at this time of year.
So far this season (from 12 September 2022 to 7 May 2023), there have been 55,872 notifications of scarlet fever, compared to 54,394 in the last update on 20 April. In the last comparable high season (from September 2017 to September 2018), there were 30,768 scarlet fever notifications overall across the year.
While invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS) is still a very rare infection, notifications are slightly higher than we would expect at this time of year and remain relatively high in children compared to what we typically see. As in previous seasons, the majority of iGAS cases have continued to be among those aged over 45 years, particularly in those aged over 75 years.
So far this season, there have been:
- 3,287 iGAS cases across all age groups, up from 2,965 in the last update on 20 April – this is compared to 2,898 across the whole of the last comparably high season in 2017 to 2018
- 761 iGAS cases in children aged 18 years and under, compared to 701 in the last update – this is compared to 205 cases in the 2017 to 2018 season
Sadly, so far this season, there have been 426 deaths (from any cause recorded within 7 days of an iGAS infection diagnosis) across all age groups in England, compared to 401 in the last update. This figure includes 48 children aged under 18 years in England, an increase of one since the last update. In the September 2017 to September 2018 season, there were 354 deaths in total across the season, including 27 deaths among children aged under 18 years.
Dr Colin Brown, Incident Director at UKHSA, said:
While scarlet fever notifications are in line with what we typically see at this time of year, we are still seeing relatively high levels of invasive group A strep infections in the oldest and youngest age groups. It is important that we continue to help stop the spread of all germs in the community and to vulnerable groups. Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly, catch coughs and sneezes in a tissue, and keep your home well ventilated. If you are unwell with any infection, you should avoid visiting vulnerable people, and stay away from school, nursery or work if you are unwell with a fever.
Please contact NHS 111 or your GP if you suspect you or your child have scarlet fever – with symptoms such as fever, sore throat, difficulty swallowing and a sandpapery rash.
Most illnesses can be managed at home, and NHS.UK has information to help parents look after children with mild illnesses. Contact NHS 111 or your GP surgery if you think your child is getting worse, for instance, if they are feeding or eating less than normal, are dehydrated, have a high temperature that won’t go down, are very hot and sweaty or seem more tired or irritable than normal.
