About the outbreak of streptococcus in Britain and in other European countries Dr. Michalis Anastasiadis spoke on the Front Page.
As he mentioned, the microbe in question is well known to both doctors and the public, as this species is the cause of tonsillitis, a very common condition in children and adults.
Parents are also aware of scarlet fever, another disease caused by a specific strain of strep, he added.
What mobilized the Ministry of Health and the Authorities in the world, he noted, are the reports of serious incidents such as septicemia and severe pneumonia.
These, he emphasized, are rare complications.
He added that the Ministry reacted immediately and convened a meeting with the Pediatric Society, taking preventive measures.
In our country, he said, there is no cause for concern.
There have been very isolated cases of sepsis or severe pneumonia in the past, he said.
At the same time, he said that there is no vaccine available.
As for how parents will know if their child has a strep infection, Mr. Anastasiadis said that the onset of symptoms in the throat is intense and accompanied by a high fever, however, there is no severe nasal congestion or runny nose.
Regarding the tests for streptococcus, he said that these are only done in laboratories or at pediatricians.
Then speaking on Radio Proto, Dr. Avraam Ilias, Director of the Pediatric Clinic of Makarios Hospital, said that it is a very old microbe that is treated very well with antibiotics and complications are rare.
What has been observed, he said, is a number of deaths of children mainly in Britain, from complications of strep.
It appears to be a toxin-producing strain of the virus that is causing the complications, he noted.
At the same time, he emphasized that there is no reason to panic as access to the doctor is immediate.
Dr. Elias mentioned that early recognition of serious symptoms is the key to successful treatment.
The increase in infections in general, as he said, is due to the fact that in the midst of a pandemic with the isolation, especially of children, immunity to viruses was not possible, resulting in infections becoming pervasive.
Parents should contact the pediatrician immediately if their child has a high fever, loss of appetite, decreased activity, urine output, and a rash that does not go away.