An investigation is being carried out into the death of a child in Ireland to see if it is linked to the ‘Strep A’ bacterial infection.
Dr Eamonn O’Moore, Director for National Health Protection at the HSE and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, confirmed that Strep A could be linked to the four-year-old child’s death.
“As far as we understand it at this time, we have been receiving reports of a death in a four-year-old, and as far as we understand it among a number of other conditions that are being considered as contributory factors, there may be a consideration of that invasive Group A streptococcal infection.”
The child who died was from the north east of the country, Dr O’Moore said.
Read more:
- Tributes paid to 'bright and talented' girl (5) who died after Strep A case reported at Belfast school
- Antibiotics ‘can be given to groups of children during Strep A outbreaks'
“This is still being considered actively, so as I speak to you we haven’t confirmed that, it is subject to further laboratory investigation,” he told RTÉ’s News at One.
“But it is reasonable to say it is among the differential diagnoses at this time,” he said, adding that they would know more during the course of the day.
It comes after eight children in Great Britain died with a form of Strep A.
A five-year-old child from a Belfast primary school, where a severe case of Strep A was reported last week, has died it was confirmed on Tuesday.
When asked about the case, Minister for Higher and Further Education Simon Harris said: “I need to be very careful on this because this is an issue that I haven’t been briefed on and I don’t want to put any information into the public domain that is wrong or ill-informed because I’m sure lots of parents are looking at media reports both in here in the Republic and also in the North.
“I’m sure (they) are very, very concerned and our hearts go out to those families involved.
“I’ve no doubt that the Minister for Health (Stephen Donnelly), the Department of Health, and our health and surveillance structures in this country will be monitoring the situation very closely and probably linking with their colleagues in the north as well.”
He added: “I do know from my time in the Department of Health that there’s really well established linkages between the HSE and the Northern Ireland health services, very good exchange of information, very good interpersonal relationships as well.
“I have no doubt people will be working very, very closely and I think we can be proud in this country that our health service does a very good job in terms of giving public health information and surveying situations as they happen and I’ve no doubt as soon as they have more information that they will update the public and particularly parents and schools.”
