Commonly, a-streptococcus causes strep throat, scarlet fever and other less serious illnesses. But in some cases they can enter the bloodstream and become invasive.
– You can become seriously ill from invasive a-streptococci, among other things you can suffer from sepsis (blood poisoning), which can quickly become life-threatening. Therefore, one should be vigilant about the symptoms, says state epidemiologist Anders Lindblom at the Public Health Agency.
Already last autumn, the World Health Organization WHO warned of a clear rise in the number of cases of invasive a-streptococci.
In Sweden, the number of people infected has doubled, compared to before the pandemic, the Public Health Agency’s figures show. But the increase is from low levels.
Deaths in several countries
– So far this year, ten people in Sweden have died, two of them were children. Even in a normal year, between 0 and 2 children die annually from invasive a-streptococci, says Anders Lindblom.
Finland, Denmark and Great Britain have also seen an increased spread of infection with more deaths.
Anders Lindblom says that the Public Health Agency’s figures may have a certain lag, therefore it is not known exactly how many people have been infected by invasive A streptococci. So far in the season, counting from July 2022 to mid-March 2023, there have been 480 cases. In the 2021 to 2022 season, 220 people were affected by invasive a-streptococci.
Can affect kidneys and heart
– We don’t know if the increase is due to the fact that the bacteria have become more contagious and aggressive or if it is due to chance, says Anders Lindblom.
What is a streptococcus and when should you seek help? Hear Jonas F Ludvigsson, pediatrician at Örebro University Hospital, tell you how to best protect yourself against infection in the clip above.
