A father has been left devastated after his young daughter, who was initially told to go home, has been left "fighting for her life" with the potentially deadly bacterial infection, Strep A.

Four-year-old Camilla Rose Burns was rushed into Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool last weekend after contracting the virus.

The news comes after six children have died within just seven days of contracting the illness, known by its full name as Group A streptococcus.

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The little girl has been on a ventilator since Monday, which her dad Dean says is “keeping her alive” reports the LiverpoolEcho.

A GoFundMe page has now been set up by Camilla’s auntie in support of Dean and his partner Kaye, who have been left with “no income into the home,” as they vow to not leave Camilla’s side.

The fundraiser has already raised almost £9,000 in just 18 hours, more than quadrupling its initial £2,000 target.

Dean urged parents with “any doubts” about infection to take their child to hospital, as he spoke to the BBC yesterday.

He said: "Any doubts if they don't look right, just scoop them up and take them and get them checked out.

"We are praying that she will make a full recovery. We are devastated and she is such a beautiful little girl."

Camila was taken to hospital on Saturday, where she was initially prescribed an inhaler and told she could go home. However, she quickly deteriorated a day later, and “she just completely changed. She was restless,” Dean told Sky news.

Camila was quickly taken back into hospital and needed life-saving intervention.

Dean added: “We shouted some nurses down and we had to leave the room. They put her to sleep and she’s been on a ventilator ever since, keeping her alive. It’s the worst thing that can ever happen to anybody.

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Group A strep bacteria can cause many different infections, ranging from minor illnesses to deadly diseases. Illnesses include the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat.

While the vast majority of infections are relatively mild, sometimes the bacteria causes a life-threatening illness called invasive Group A Streptococcal disease.

According to UKHSA data, there have been 2.3 cases of invasive disease per 100,000 children aged one to four this year in England, compared with an average of 0.5 in the pre-pandemic seasons (2017 to 2019).

A spokesperson urged parents to contact NHS 111 or their GP if their child is getting worse, is feeding or eating much less than normal, has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration.

They should also seek help if their baby is under three months and has a temperature of 38C, or is older than three months with a temperature of 39C or higher. A very tired or irritable child is also a red flag.

You can find the GoFundMe here.

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