In south-eastern England 12 people have died after being infected with a rare bacterial infection and there is already talk of an epidemic.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousIn south-eastern England 12 people have died after being infected with a rare bacterial infection and there is already talk of an epidemic.
There are over 32 confirmed cases of contagion, all in the county of Essex. The disease appears to be caused by the invasive group A streptococcus, iGAS.
The NHS Mid Essex hospital, which is dealing with the emergency, said that so far about a third of people diagnosed with this rare disease have not been able to survive (there are 12 confirmed deaths).
Bacteria can lurk in the throat and on the skin and have strong resistance, in fact they manage to live long enough to spread easily among people through sneezing, kissing but also with a simple contact of the skin. The British Public Health has issued a "high risk" warning regarding the possibility of further deaths as a result of theepidemic in progress.
"Get help immediately if you have these symptoms", is the appeal launched by doctors who have alerted all those who have symptoms such as:
- sore throat,
- swollen neck lymph nodes,
- enlarged and pus-filled tonsils
- rashes
- tiny red patches on the palate
- headache
- abdominal pain.
Other symptoms include fever or generally feeling unwell, tiredness, and loss of appetite. Keep in mind that some people may have even one symptom.
Also beware of injuries, in fact, significant differences could be recognized in these. The presence of additional pain, redness on the outside, excess heat and loss of the wound area should not be underestimated.
Health authorities advise people living in the county to notify their family doctor immediately if they have even one of the symptoms listed. Your doctor will consider drawing blood or swabbing the infected area to see if you have an iGAS infection.
Infections of invasive group A are often fatal, said Pete Monk, professor of immunology at the University of Sheffield in the UK:
“However, it is quite difficult to get infected. Each of us carries these organisms in the throat and nose without harmful effects and it is not known why the bacteria become virulent in some cases ”.
Public Health England (PHE) stated that most of the recorded cases of contagion would be linked to nursing treatments and, therefore, the most at risk subjects would be the elderly.
To limit the contagion, as a precaution, antibiotics were given to staff working in hospitals and nursing homes.
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