Fresh bid to ease anxiety over strep A bug in the Highlands
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Health leaders are seeking to reassure the public about the spread of strep A infections in the region.
The infection – which is also known as group A streptococcal (GAS) and includes scarlet fever – has been in the headlines in recent weeks thanks to a spike in infection rates and a number of deaths of young children.
It has two forms – a milder form which lies on the skin and a more serious life-threatening invasive form inside the body.
Dr Tim Allison, NHS Highland’s head of public health and policy, confirmed case numbers are higher than in previous years, though he was unable to give a definitive number of confirmed cases.
He said cases of scarlet fever also seemed to have increased but it was not a notifiable disease in Scotland.
As a result, he said: “We can’t be sure about the precise numbers month on month but we are certainly getting some more reports of that.
“It’s not particular to the Highlands; it seems to be more common at the moment across the whole of Scotland and across the UK.
“It may well be something to do with Covid because of all the precautions taken against Covid – maybe we haven’t been exposed to as many other bugs over the past couple of years so it’s a bit worse now and more common.”
Of the more invasive, dangerous form of strep A infection, he said there were more cases than usual but infection remains “pretty uncommon”.
He added: “I couldn’t really give anything definitive regarding Highland because the numbers are so very small.
“We do see occasional cases of invasive group A streptococcal but, even the times when it is a bit more common, it is incredibly rare. It is at a level you are maybe seeing a case every few weeks.”
Strep A/scarlet fever is a common infection among children particularly. Symptoms to look out for include headache, sore throat, high temperature, swollen tongue, distinctive pink-red rash which feels like sandpaper, swollen neck glands, loss of appetite and nausea or vomiting.
Dr Allison said anyone displaying any of these symptoms should stay off school or work and contact their GP, getting antibiotics if necessary.
He said NHS 111 and the NHS Inform website are also sources of useful information.
NHS tips to guard against infection include washing hands with soap for 20 seconds, using a disposable tissue for coughs and sneezes, and keeping away from others when unwell.
Dr Allison added: “If children or adults are really poorly it is about seeking medical help straight away.”
In terms of what to look out for in a suspected case of invasive GAS he said: “They are the sort of symptoms that you get if you are seriously ill – people are unresponsive or fitting or have lips going blue and, with small children, not weeing.
“Those sort of things need immediate hospital treatment.”
Despite some conversation online about an apparent shortage of antibiotics at local pharmacies Dr Allison said he was not aware of any particular issues.
“It has been reported nationally that there are some shortages but the information that we have got is that there are no shortages,” he said.
“There are always issues with individual supply and the position can vary week on week but we are not concerned about a shortage of antibiotics.”
