Strep A link to death of four-year-old child in Ireland being investigated

The child who died was from the north east of the country, Dr Eamonn O’Moore of the HSE said

A sore throat is one of the primary signs of Strep A infection (Alamy/PA)

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 northeast of the country, Dr O’Moore said.

“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.