Ongoing Excess Hospitalizations for Severe Pediatric Group A Streptococcal Disease in 2023–2024—A Single-Center Report

A Europe-wide outbreak of invasive pediatric group A streptococcal infections (iGAS) began in fall 2022. Here, we report the evolution of GAS hospitalizations in children and adolescents during the second outbreak year in 2023–2024 at a tertiary center in Switzerland. Using prospective monitoring of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Infectious disease reports 2024-09, Vol.16 (5), p.864-869
Main Authors: Schöbi, Nina, Duppenthaler, Andrea, Horn, Matthias, Bartenstein, Andreas, Keitel, Kristina, Kopp, Matthias V., Agyeman, Philipp K. A., Aebi, Christoph
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abscesses
Cellulitis
child
Communication
Empyema
Epidemics
Epidemiology
Hospitalization
iGAS
Infections
Influenza
invasive group A streptococcus
Necrotizing fasciitis
outbreak
Outbreaks
Patients
Pediatrics
Pneumonia
Prolongation
Respiratory syncytial virus
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Skin
Streptococcus infections
Streptococcus pyogenes
Viruses
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Summary:A Europe-wide outbreak of invasive pediatric group A streptococcal infections (iGAS) began in fall 2022. Here, we report the evolution of GAS hospitalizations in children and adolescents during the second outbreak year in 2023–2024 at a tertiary center in Switzerland. Using prospective monitoring of all in-patient GAS cases below 16 years of age, including those with iGAS, we compared case frequencies and clinical characteristics in three time periods (2013–2020; 2022–2023; 2023–2024). Annual GAS hospitalizations increased from a median of 25 cases (range 11–28) in 2013–2020 to 89 and 63 cases, respectively, in 2022–2023 and 2023–2024. iGAS cases evolved similarly (2013–2020, 4 cases (3–8); 2022–2023, 32 cases; 2023–2024, 21 cases). The decline in cases from 2022–2023 to 2023–2024 included all types of GAS organ involvement, except suppurative infections in the head area, which remained largely unchanged (48 vs. 45 cases). Pleural empyema declined from 13 to 7 cases, possibly explained by a poor overlap of the GAS and influenza curves, respectively, in 2023–2024 compared to 2022–2023. These data document the prolongation of the GAS outbreak into its second winter season in 2023–2024.
ISSN:2036-7449
2036-7430
2036-7449
DOI:10.3390/idr16050067