Saintpaul outbreak associated with cantaloupe consumption, the United Kingdom and Portugal, September to November 2023.

In September 2023, the UK Health Security Agency identified cases of Saintpaul distributed across England, Scotland, and Wales, all with very low genetic diversity. Additional cases were identified in Portugal following an alert raised by the United Kingdom. Ninety-eight cases with a similar genetic sequence were identified, 93 in the United Kingdom and 5 in Portugal, of which 46% were aged under 10 years.

Surge of lower respiratory tract group A streptococcal infections in England in winter 2022: epidemiology and clinical profile.

Background: Following low incidence of invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) infections during the COVID-19 pandemic, marked increases were noted in many countries during 2022, particularly in children. In November 2022, severe presentations of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), including empyema, were notified by clinicians across the UK. UKHSA investigated this rise with the aim of informing clinical management and public health response.