In 2022, Britain experienced the largest outbreak of scarlet fever in 70 years.

The Daily Mail reported that a record number of cases of scarlet fever were reported in the UK in 2022, the biggest outbreak of the disease since the 1950s.

According to the publication, the British Health Agency (UKHSA) recorded 54,430 cases of scarlet fever in England and Wales in 2022, which is 20 times more than a year earlier. The article says that this is a record since 1953, when 61,180 cases were recorded. The number of cases increased sharply at the end of the year due to an outbreak of group A streptococcal infection, which causes scarlet fever and other diseases.

The newspaper said 38 children had died in Britain as a result of contracting the disease.

The agency said yesterday that infections have begun to decline, but health officials continue to closely monitor the situation.

According to experts, one of the reasons for the sharp increase in infections was self-isolation regimes during the coronavirus pandemic. Lack of contact between children reduced immune resistance and made the body more susceptible to infections.

Source: News