Group A streptococcus (GAS) infections have been spreading in Europe recently, with the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Sweden reporting a significant spike in cases in children under 10 years of age since September. Pediatric hospitals in the United States have also reported a rise in such cases from previous years.
On Dec. 12, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) jointly issued a warning about emerging trends regarding the disease.
GAS or Strep A infections can incur sore throat, headache, fever, and other mild sicknesses, and can also morph into a severe invasive GAS (iGAS) infection, such as scarlet fever, necrotizing fasciitis, and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome….