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Police are investigating the sudden, unexplained death of a young girl.

The eight-year-old from Maes-y-Deri in Lampeter, Wales, died on Thursday evening, December 22.

Dyfed-Powys Police say they arrested a 33-year-old woman on Friday, December 23, on suspicion of child neglect.

She has since been released while the investigation is ongoing, reports Wales Online.

Public Health Wales says, that following the child’s death, it is “investigating links” to invasive Strep A and working with Ceredigion Council and Hywel Dda University Health Board.

Dr Graham Brown, consultant in communicable disease control for Public Health Wales, said: “Public Health Wales is working with Hywel Dda University Health Board and Ceredigion Council following the death of a child in Lampeter.

“We offer our deepest condolences to the family, friends and all those affected. Public Health Wales cannot comment on individual cases.

“We are investigating links to Invasive Group A Streptococcal disease (iGAS), a very rare complication of Group A Streptococcal infection.

“While we understand that parents are likely to be worried, cases of iGAS remain rare in Wales, and children have a very low risk of contracting the disease.”

A spokesperson for Ceredigion Council said: “Our thoughts are with the family and we are supporting them in every way we can.

“The Council cannot comment further due to the ongoing police investigation.”

Invasive Strep A infections occur when Strep A bacteria gets past the defences of the infected person – often when that person has sores or breaks in the skin, or when they are immunocompromised, which can happen due to illness.

In its update published on December 20, Public Health Wales indicated that it had been notified of fewer than five deaths in children under the age of 15 in whom iGAS was detected since September 1, 2022.

As of December 22, the UK Health Security Agency said that 24 children had died from Strep A in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The symptoms of an invasive Strep A infection are:

• Fever (above 38°C)

• Severe muscle aches

• Localised muscle tenderness

• Redness at the site of a wound

If your child is showing any symptoms of invasive Strep A, you should contact your GP immediately.

Additionally if your child has a fever, nausea or vomiting, or a fine sandpaper-like pink-red rash, this could be a symptom of scarlet fever – another complication of Strep A infection – and you should also contact your GP.

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