Strep A cases in kids have quadrupled since 2020, Aus study shows
Reduced social contact during the COVID-19 pandemic could be to blame for rebounding cases, say researchers.
Australia experienced an “intense surge” in paediatric strep A cases last year, according to an analysis of surveillance data, with no signs of cases abating in 2023.
Researchers led by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne report that cases of invasive group A streptococcal disease (iGAS) in children and teenagers jumped from 23 in 2020 to 107 in 2022, with Indigenous patients disproportionately affected.
