A Landes boy was infected with Streptococcus A. Despite treatment, he died after developing septicemia.
- Streptococcus A is an infection that is only transmitted from person to person.
- An 11-year-old boy died of sepsis after contracting a Streptococcus A infection.
- Collective measures have been introduced for all people in contact with the boy, in order to prevent the risk of transmission.
According to the newspaper South Westa child, aged 11, died of septicemia following an infection with streptococcus A. Due to the seriousness of his condition, this student from Cap de Gascogne college (Landes) was quickly transferred to the Layné hospital in Mont-de-Marsan, then to the Bordeaux University Hospital.
Signs of Strep A infection after a school trip
The child is said to have contracted streptococcus A after a school trip to the Landes coast. So far, doctors have not identified the cause of the infection. They were unable to determine whether it was related to the surfboard injury or whether the boy had developed sore throat during the outing.
To prevent the risk of transmission of Streptococcus A, collective measures have been put in place for all people in contact with the boy. “Families are encouraged to consult a doctor in the event of symptoms of angina (…) Moreover, Streptococcus A has a rather limited contagious nature. This is why in terms of epidemic, we are not very worried despite this terrible drama”, however reassured Dr Damien Sainte-Croix, public health doctor at the Landes Regional Health Agency (ARS), to South West. For the moment, no member of his family or the school environment has been affected by the infection, according to the ARS of Landes.
Streptococcus A: an increase in pediatric cases in 2022
As explained by the Pasteur Institute, group A streptococcus (GAS) is only transmitted from man to man. This microorganism can cause mild infections such as angina and impetigo, but also acute pathologies such as bacteremia, necrotizing skin infections or even puerperal infections. Streptococcus A can also lead to septicemia as in the case of the Landes schoolboy, which can result from angina or a skin lesion.
During the winter of 2022, Public Health France noted a rebound in pediatric cases of invasive group A streptococcus infections. These reports mainly concerned children under ten years old. According to an epidemiological point published on April 13, 2023, this increase in infections could be linked, at least in part, to has “a rebound post-barrier measures, particularly in children whose immune system has not been in contact with the strains of GAS that usually circulate.”
