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Bye! Since September in England and Wales, at least eight children have now died after contracting a strepe infection.

On November 14th Ibrahim collapsed.

He died minutes later in an ambulance en route to hospital.

Ibrahim is among a growing list of children in the UK to have died with Strepe.

This year the UK is seeing a big jump in the number of cases in comparison to previous years.

The UK Health Security Agency says that investigations are underway following reports of an increase in cases.

Group A streptococcae bacteria usually cause mild illnesses like skin infections, tonsilitis or scarlet fever that can all be treated with antibiotics.

But it is highly contagious and in very rare cases it can become a severe invasive infection

So last Friday evening the UK Health Security Agency issued an alert, telling parents to seek

medical help as soon as possible if they detect signs in their children.

The Health Security Agency says the vast majority of cases are relatively mild, but families

are being advised to seek immediate medical help if they have concerns. But why are we seeing such a significant rise in cases?

What should caregivers be on the lookout for and could there one day be a vaccine

to stop Strepe in its tracks?

From the Guardian, I'm Madeline Finley,

and this is Science Weekly.

Chrissy Jones, you're an associate professor of pediatric infection at the University of

...