Cases of scarlet fever have soared tenfold this year, official figures show amid an increase in Strep A infections.
Most recent data published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows there had been around 23,000 incidents of the infection this year up until last week, compared to just 2,323 during the same period in 2021.
Scarlet fever is caused by the bacteria called group A streptococcus. Though usually a mild illness, it is highly infectious.
It comes after the health secretary insisted there was no issue with the supply of antibiotics used to treat Strep A from manufacturers – though he conceded some GPs may face shortages while stock is moved around.
Steve Barclay told Sky News: “Sometimes, GPs can have particular surges if they’ve got a lot of demand in an area, and that’s quite routine, we can move the stock around our depots.
“As of last night when we checked (with suppliers), they said they could reassure us that they’ve got good stock and were moving that around to meet demand.”
