There has been much media coverage in recent days regarding cases of Strep A/scarlet fever in children and parents of a child with a liver condition may understandably be anxious.
If your child’s liver is functioning well even following transplant and/or on immunosuppression then they would not be expected to be at more risk than any other child. However, Strep A infection can cause significant illness therefore any child with symptoms should be reviewed urgently by their GP/local A&E who will have a low threshold for prescribing antibiotics in suspected cases. You can also call NHS 111 for advice.
A list of symptoms and further information can be found here:
Scarlet fever – NHS (www.nhs.uk) and
Scarlet fever: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Strep A/scarlet fever infection is a publicly notifiable disease therefore any cases need to be reported by GPs/secondary care to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The UKHSA will therefore inform you or your school/educational setting whether children need to be kept off school or receive treatment if they have had a close contact with another child found to have Strep A. Current advice is that close contacts to a mild or possible case of simple Group A Strep do not require action beyond awareness of symptoms to watch for but please be aware that advice is being updated daily and may change. In this event it will be the UKHSA that will be contacting families/schools.
If another member of your household is found to have Strep A/high suspicion of Strep A then your GP should advise whether your child should have prophylactic antibiotic treatment.
