A streptococcus outbreak in one municipality of Thessaloniki, northern Greece, and the death of a 5-yea-old girl have forced authorities to close five schools in the area of Efkarpia on Friday.
Closed for “precautionary reasons” are one kindergarten, three primary schools and one high school.
A team from the National Public Health Organization (EODY) conducted 85 diagnostic tests on children, parents and teaching staff of the kindergarten and other school units identifying a total of 15 infections with streptococcus. 9 of them in children and 6 in adults.
The infection became known after a 5-year-old girl contracted the infection in the kindergarten and died within just a few hours.
Death of 5-year-old girl
Without any previous symptoms, the otherwise healthy girl suddenly collapsed on Tuesday night and died of acute sepsis a few hours later in a hospital.
“I lost a very healthy child, I lost her in two hours, because the streptococcus hit her blood,” the devastated father of the girl told media. “It was a rare case, one in a million, they told us. She lost oxygen, suffered sepsis and did not recover even after three rounds of CPR performed on her,” the father said with broken voice.
He recalled that his daughter had no symptoms, when she suddenly turned a bit blue in the face, so he rushed her to the nearest hospital.
Rapid deterioration – Girl contracted it in kindergarten
The 5-year-old’s condition deteriorated rapidly, as the streptococcus (Strept A) had already passed into the blood, causing sepsis. According to information, the little girl allegedly contracted streptococcus in the kindergarten where she attended, as other cases have also been identified there.
What pediatricians say
The president of the Hellenic Pediatric Society, Andreas Konstantopoulos, has warned:
“If we see the child with fever, malaise and a red throat or a rash, we fear that it is streptococcus. It is crucial that the child is taken to pediatrician immediately. If we delay, even a day, it may be too late. Even a few hours earlier to the doctor, they may save his life.”
Health authorities intervene
EODY teams who have conducted streptococcus tests have administered chemoprophylaxis where necessary to prevent the further spread of streptococcus infection.
Parents in the area are on alert and local pharmacies have reportedly run out of strept tests.
Streptococcus A has taken several children lives since in appeared in Greece in 2023.
