SCIENTISTS studying scarlet fever have identified a new strain of disease-causing bacteria, which may explain a rise in more serious Strep A infections in England and Wales, according to results from cases in London and across England and Wales from 2014-16 published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. In this study, the authors provide an explanation for the association between increased incidence of scarlet fever and increased incidence of more serious invasive infections such as bloodstream infections. They uncovered a new strain of Streptococcus pyogenes with increased capacity to produce scarlet fever toxin.
