Deadly new UK strep A variant leading to disease surge in Australia

The invasive strep A variant first identified in the UK and thought to be behind a surge in deaths there and throughout Europe has likely contributed to a similar uptick in serious disease and hospitalisations in Australia, researchers say.

While health authorities in Australia only recently began recording strep A cases nationally, so statistics on cases are difficult to map over time, Victoria and New South Wales are among the states to have issued warnings to be on alert for symptoms. Health authorities in the UK say between September and January, invasive strep A led to the deaths of 30 children. A further 10 children have died since then in the UK.

A co-lead author of the paper, Dr Mark Davies, said until December, invasive strep A was not a nationally notifiable disease. Notifiable diseases are those that must be reported to the Department of Health so that cases and spread can be monitored.

Genomic sequencing is the process of determining the entire genetic makeup of an organism, such as bacteria or a virus.

Strep A is also behind rheumatic heart disease, a disease of severe social disadvantage found in developing countries and in Indigenous Australian communities. Osowicki said it would take some time to gather enough data to establish if M1UK was leading to an uptick in rheumatic heart disease, especially given it takes repeated and untreated infections for rheumatic heart disease to occur.

Davies said that since his team conducted their analysis of M1UK, other strains of strep A had also begun circulating throughout Australia. Given M1UK is one of several variants circulating, it is likely partly behind the rise in serious strep A infections and deaths.