Six children have died with an invasive condition caused by Strep A the UK Health Security Agency has said.
Usually Strep A infections are mild but in a very small number of cases patients can become seriously ill with an invasive infection.
Muhammad Ibrahim Ali, aged four, died at his home on November 14 after suffering a cardiac arrest, his devastated family have said.
He attended Oakridge School and Nursery in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
Today, it was confirmed by health officials that a child from St John’s School in Ealing, west London, had passed away just a day after another death was reported in Penarth, Wales.
A six-year-old pupil of a Surrey school died following an outbreak of strep A last week.
Muhammad’s mother, Shabana Kousar, told Bucks Free Press: ‘The loss is great and nothing will replace that. ‘He was very helpful around the house and quite adventurous, he loved exploring and enjoyed the forest school, his best day was a Monday and said how Monday was the best day of the week.
‘He also had a very close bond with his dad. He was his best friend and went everywhere with him. He just wanted to be with him.’
A JustGiving page has raised more than £4,300 in memory of Muhammed to build a memorial in his nursery.
Oakbridge School and Nursery headteacher Stuart Cook said: ‘We want to create a lasting memorial in the school so that there is always a place at Oakridge for Ibrahim – a place where he was so very happy.
‘This will enable us to remember the wonderful, kind, smiley, energetic boy that Ibrahim was.’
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed a child contracted the bacteria while attending St John’s School in Ealing, west London.
The school was struck by an outbreak of invasive strep A, which is when the bacteria works its way into people’s blood or skin, rather than the throat.
Victoria Primary School in Penarth, Wales, confirmed on Thursday a pupil had died after contracting the disease.
Their name, according to loved ones, was seven-year-old Hanna Reap.
The third known case saw a six-year-old child at Ashford Church of England Primary School in Ashford, Surrey, die after a Strep A outbreak earlier this week.
There is no indication that the four deaths are related, health officials stress.
Strep A refers to a type of bacteria that can lead to various illnesses such as strep throat, scarlet fever and more serious complications like rheumatic fever.
Strep throat results in a long-lasting scratchy throat, a fever and swollen lymph nodes, according to the NHS.
It’s passed on by close physical contact or through people’s repository droplets.
Once someone contracts the bacteria, it takes about two to five days for symptoms of strep throat to show.