By Parents ‘praying for a miracle’ after surge in Strep A infections
The father of a four-year-old girl is “hoping and praying for a miracle” as she fights for her life in hospital after contracting Strep A.
Camila Rose Burns, four, has been on a ventilator at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool since Monday.
Six children have died with an invasive form of the Strep A bacterial infection in recent months as experts say there are more Strep A cases than usual this year.
Dean Burns urged parents with any concerns about their children’s health to get them checked.
Strep A infections are usually mild, ranging from a sore throat to scarlet fever, but they can develop into a more serious invasive Group A Strep (iGAS) infection.
On Friday health officials confirmed six children had died with iGAS since September.
Mr Burns, from Bolton, told BBC News Camila was showing signs of improvement, but he fears “anything could take her back the other way”.
In a message to other parents, he added: “Any doubts, if they don’t look right, just scoop them up and take them [to seek medical advice]. Get them checked out rapid.”
Describing his daughter as “our special little girl”, Mr Burns said the family “just have to keep hoping and praying for a miracle so that she heals and comes back to us”.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said the last time there was an intensive period of Strep A infection was in 2017-18, when there were four deaths in England in the equivalent time frame.
The rise in Strep A cases and deaths is most likely due to high amounts of the bacteria circulating and increased social mixing, it said.
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