Belfast girl (5) at primary school with Strep A case has died

According to the BBC, the five-year-old girl died after spending a short period of time in an intensive care unit in the Royal Victoria Hospital.

The young girl is believed to have attended Black Mountain Primary School. On Friday, the Public Health Agency sent a letter to parents of P1 to P3 children at the school to inform them a pupil had been diagnosed with a severe case of Strep A.

On Monday, a school principal at Brackenagh West Primary School near Kilkeel, said that two children had been hospitalised with the infection and “dozens” of pupils had symptoms of the infection.

Earlier this week, health officials in England confirmed a child from St John’s School in Ealing, west London, had died from the bacterial infection, while the parents of a four-year-old boy from Buckinghamshire confirmed he had died from Strep A.

A child at a primary school in Penarth, near Cardiff, has also died.

Group A Streptococcus (Group A Strep or Strep A) is a bacteria which can cause many different infections. Symptoms can be found on the throat and on the skin, and affects children more seriously than adults. It can be treated with antibiotics and severe cases are rare.

Strep A can develop into Scarlet Fever, which can cause flu-like symptoms, a high temperature and a rash.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) has said the number of cases of scarlet fever in Northern Ireland had been rising in the "past few months.” However the agency is asking parents to be vigilant.

The PHA has been contacted about the reported death. The Belfast Trust was also contacted and did not comment.