Increase in invasive Group A streptococcal infections among children in Europe, including fatalities

(WHO) A number of European countries (including France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom) have indicated an increase in 2022, particularly since September, in the number of cases of invasive Group A streptococcal (iGAS) disease among children under 10 years of age.  During the same period, several deaths associated with iGAS disease in children under 10 have also been reported, including from France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. In France and the United Kingdom, the number of iGAS cases observed in children has been several-fold higher than pre-pandemic levels for the equivalent period of time.