Two children below the age of 10 have died with a Strep A infection in Scotland, health officials have said, bringing the total number of child deaths in the UK this season to 24.
Public Health Scotland said on Wednesday that it was aware of seven deaths in total in people who had developed invasive group A streptococcal infections (iGAS).
South of the border, there have been 94 deaths in England, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and at least one reported in Wales.
It is the highest number of fatalities in five years, when a total of 355 people died across the season, including 27 children.
Public Health Scotland said the deaths seen this year, since 3 October, compare with between zero and seven deaths reported during the same time period in previous years.
Infections caused by Strep A include the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat.
While the vast majority of infections are relatively mild, sometimes the bacteria cause iGAS, a life-threatening infection in which the bacteria has invaded parts of the body, such as the blood, deep muscle or lungs.
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