A Primary School Student Has Died After Contracting Strep AThe death was confirmed earlier this week by Victoria Primary School in Penarth and the Vale of Glamorgan council, and it follows the death of a six-year-old at Ashford Church of England Primary School in Surrey, where another child was hospitalised as a result of the outbreak. “Earlier this week, it was confirmed that a pupil from Victoria Primary School had tragically passed away after contracting Strep A,” the Welsh school and council said in a joint statement. Both the school and the council would like to express their deepest sympathies to the family during this extremely difficult time.” The council’s team of educational psychologists is providing support to staff and students, and information from Public Health Wales has been distributed to parents where appropriate. “Other students are unlikely to be affected by the illness, and severe symptoms are extremely rare.” “Simple precautions like hand washing and not going to school when sick can help reduce the risk of infection.” “If someone who has been in contact with someone who has Strep A develops any of the following symptoms: high fever, severe muscle aches, pain in one area of the body, redness at the site of a wound, vomiting or diarrhoea, a sore throat or tonsillitis, a mild skin infection such as impetigo, or a rash, they should contact their general practitioner immediately.” Scarlet fever, throat infections, and, in very rare cases, invasive disease are all caused by Group A streptococcus (or Strep A). This can happen when bacteria enter areas of the body where they are not normally found, such as the blood, muscle, or lungs. It can happen if bacteria get past a person’s defences, such as through an open wound or when the immune system is weak. Most people who come into contact with the bacteria are unaffected.