23 deaths linked to Streptococcus, including 11 children
Some 94 cases of streptococcus bacterial infection have been detected in the past 14 months, 23 of which resulted in death, among them 11 children under the age of 10, data from the National Organisation for Public Health (EODY) showed on Thursday.
Two children have been infected with streptococcus this year so far, one of which passed away in Thrace, northern Greece earlier this week.
EODY has warned that instances of the bacterial infection have gone up world wide, but particularly in certain EU member states.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has said that while such cases have increased, the risk to the general population is relatively low.
Most of the early Streptococcus infection symptoms are consistent with that of a common cold, such as sore throat, undue fatigue, fever, and loss of appetite, but, if left untreated, the condition can deteriorate rapidly, progressively leading to organ failure and eventually death.
EODY notes that patients with certified cases of Streptococcus infection should seek to inform their social circle, as the disease can easily spread from person-to-person contact.
