The North East has witnessed a downturn in the number of suspected Invasive Group A Strep cases following a spike in cases across the region in the final week of 2022.
When GPs diagnose a suspected case of a Strep A infection they are required to notify the UKHSA and infections are then logged in weekly NOIDS (Notification of Infectious Diseases) reports.
Analysis of these reports, which provide an early warning of potential outbreaks of serious diseases in England and Wales, shows that doctors in the North East identified seven potential cases of invasive group A streptococcal disease in the week ending January 1, 2023. The total number of suspected cases in England and Wales in the same week was 17.
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Of the seven suspected cases in the North East that week, County Durham, Darlington and South Tyneside all recorded one case, while Northumberland recorded four cases. The figures revealed a stark rise in the number of suspected cases in the region.
Between the week ending November 13 and the week ending December 25 only two cases had been reported in the region. Both were recorded in the week ending December 18, with one suspected case in County Durham and another in Newcastle. The total number of suspected cases in England and Wales that week was 25.
Figures published on January 10 show that the number of suspected cases in the North East for the week ending January 8 was one, which was recorded in Newcastle, revealing a downturn in the number of cases during the previous week.
Medics continue to monitor an out of season rise in Strep A infections. Though the virus itself isn't necessarily something to worry about, it can cause the lethal iGAS (Invasive Group A Streptococcus) infection and scarlet fever.
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