Father of girl, 4, fighting for life with Strep A infection is ‘praying for a miracle’

Desk report: The father of a four-year-old girl left fighting for her life in hospital after contracting Strep A has said they are “hoping and praying for a miracle”.

Camila Rose Burns, four, has been on a ventilator at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool since Monday.

Six children have died with an invasive form of the Strep A bacterial infection in recent months.

Dean Burns urged parents with any concerns about their children’s health to “scoop them up” and to get checked.

Experts say there are more Strep A cases than usual this year.

Strep A infections are usually mild, causing illness ranging from a sore throat to scarlet fever, but they can develop into a more serious invasive Group A Strep (iGAS) infection.

Health officials confirmed on Friday that six children had died with iGAS – including five under-10-year-olds in England – since September. Hanna Roap, a primary school pupil from Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, in Wales, has also died and her family said their hearts have been “broken into a million pieces”.

No deaths have been confirmed in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Mr Burns, from Bolton, told BBC News Camila was showing signs of improvement, but he fears “anything could take her back the other way”.

In a message to other parents, he added: “Any doubts, if they don’t look right, just scoop them up and take them [to seek medical advice]. Get them checked out rapid.”