Two cases of Strep A infection are confirmed among pupils at Hartlepool school

While the illness is thought to have been responsible recently for the deaths of nine children nationwide, the vast majority of cases are relatively mild.

St Peter’s Elwick Church of England Primary School wrote to the parents of its children this week to confirm that two pupils had Strep A.

The school is part of the Northern Lights Learning Trust and a statement by the trust on Tuesday stated: “We can confirm we have had two pupils who have been confirmed as having Strep A.

"We wrote to our parents yesterday to assure them we are following all advice of public health and asking parents to get a clinical assessment if they are worried about their child’s health.

“The health and safety of our pupils is of the utmost importance to us and we will continue to liaise with public health and keep parents informed.

Strep A, known medically as Group A streptococcus (GAS), is a common bacteria which many people carry on their skin or in their throats.

It can cause many different infections ranging from minor illnesses to serious and deadly diseases.

They include the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat.

The invasive Group A Streptococcal (iGAS) disease, which occurs when the bacteria has invaded parts of the body such as the blood, deep muscles or lungs, can be life threatening.

The condition of the two Hartlepool pupils has yet to be disclosed.

The Government believes the rise in cases is down to lower immunity levels following the pandemic.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, health minister Maria Caulfield sought to reassure people over access to GPs and the availability of antibiotics, saying: “We want to reassure parents if their children do have symptoms and they are concerned to seek help.

"GPs are ready, A&E departments are ready and also we have directors of public health proactively going into schools where there are cases.

“There is no shortage of antibiotics. We want to reassure people on that and we’re keeping an eye on that on a daily basis.”

Information about the illness from the UK Health Security Agency is available at ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2022/12/05/group-a-strep-what-you-need-to-know/