Strep A: Fundraiser set up for 'poorliest girl in England' raises £20k

A fundraiser has been set up to support the family of the 'poorliest girl in England' currently in hospital with the strep A virus.

Camila Rose Burns is on life support at Alder Hey children's hospital in Liverpool after contracting the illness.

The four-year-old's aunt, Laura Daniels, has set up a Go Fund Me page so the toddler's parents can be by her side until she recovers.

She wrote: "My niece is currently fighting for her life in Alder Hey Children's hospital after becoming infected with Group A Streptococcus which has also led to other complications.

"Dean and Kaye understandably have not and will not leave Camila's side during this absolutely heartbreaking situation.

"Due to this, there will be no income coming into the home.

Watch: Mother tells of agony as daughter fights for life with strep A infection

"After many people have asked, I have decided to set up this page to help them with one less thing to worry about during this nightmare."

Camila's dad Dean Burns told Sky News his daughter went from feeling under the weather on Saturday to needing emergency care on Monday.

He said: "When we got here Monday, they said she’s the poorliest girl in the whole of England."

By Monday afternoon almost £20,000 had been donated by wellwishers.

Strep A infections can develop into a more serious invasive Group A Strep (iGAS) infection – though this is rare.

Officials have noticed an increase in iGAS cases this year, particularly in children under 10.

Last Friday, the UKHSA said six children under 10 had died after contracting a strep A infection in the past three months. On Saturday, it was reported that a 12-year-old boy from a school in south London had died after contracting the infection.

When the family, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, first sought medical help Camila was prescribed an inhaler and told she could go home – but her health deteriorated a day later.

Daniels told her local paper that her niece's illness was having a devastating impact on her sibling - five-year-old sister Florence, and brother Alfie, 15, “whose worlds have turned upside down”.

She said: “As a family we are also doing everything we can for them.

“We are praying Camila can fight this but it’s a very long road ahead.

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“Dean and Kaye would like to thank every single person for their prayers, care, and love at this heartbreaking time.”

Strep A is a bacteria that is sometimes found in the throat or on the skin, and can be caught through close contact and from coughs and sneezes.

On Monday, UK GPs were urged to be vigilant for severe strep A infections and to refer affected children to hospital immediately.

Doctors have been instructed by the government's UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to be particularly wary of (iGAS) after a seventh child was reported to have died from the infection.

In the note sent by the UKHSA, GPs were told to set a "low threshold" for sending children potentially suffering from strep A to hospital and prescribing them antibiotics.