Invasive Group A Strep (iGAS)

In news– Many children have died recently from an invasive condition caused by iGAS.

What is iGAS?

Strep A – or Group A streptococcus (GAS) – is a type of bacterium found in the throat and on the skin.
The illness can also cause other respiratory and skin infections, such as Strep throat, impetigo and scarlet fever.
On rare occasions, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause an illness called invasive Group A Strep (iGAS).
While still uncommon, there has been an increase in invasive Strep A cases in 2022, particularly in children under 10.
It can be spread through coughs, sneezes and skin-to-skin contact.
While scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, it is highly infectious.
Symptoms for Strep A can include pain when swallowing, fever, swollen tonsils with white patches, a headache, swollen neck glands, a high temperature or a skin rash.
A red body rash with a sandpapery feel can also be a symptom. On darker skin, the rash can sometimes be more difficult to detect visually, but will still have a sandpapery feel.
Early on in the illness, the bacteria can cause a whitish coating to appear on the tongue, which eventually peels, leaving the tongue red, swollen and covered in bumps also known as “strawberry tongue”.