Panic in Greece as bacterial infections prompt closures amid parents' fears

By Emily Wright, World News Reporter

Schools have been forced to close across Greece due to bacterial infections. (Image: Getty)

Parents across Greece are in a state of panic, and paediatricians are reporting nonstop phone calls from worried families about cases of bacterial infections. Due to streptococcus infections, preventative school closures have been enforced at some schools in Athens, Thessaloniki, Serres (Macedonia), and even Crete.

"Two incidents on Monday show the magnitude of the madness," said paediatrician Georgios Charitos. He described scenes of chaos as parents empty schools after single cases and conduct daily tests on asymptomatic children. "The way the streptococcus news was presented has panicked the population," he added, as reported by ekathimerini.

So far in May, 24 streptococcus cases have been reported in Greece. (Image: Getty)

So far in May, 24 cases have been reported in Greece. In 2023, 90 invasive cases were recorded, dropping to 68 last year.

National Public Health Organisation (EODY) President Christos Chatzichristodoulou opposed the closures, stating: "There is no streptococcus outbreak in the country".

However, University of Athens Professor Athanasios Tsakris disagreed with the president's claims and supports the temporary closures to "cut the transmission chain".

In Greece, widespread pharmacy testing is complicating response efforts. (Image: Getty)

Prof Tsakris noted that there has been a worldwide increase in invasive Group A Streptococcus infections since the COVID-19 pandemic, with 1.8 million annual cases and mortality rates of between 15% and 40%.

Streptococcus A (strep A) is a bacterium commonly found on the skin or in the throat. However, under some circumstances, these bacteria can cause disease, commonly presenting as a mild sore throat ("strep throat") and skin or soft tissue infections such as tonsillitis, scarlet fever, cellulitis, and pneumonia.

In Greece, widespread pharmacy testing is seemingly complicating response efforts, with parents conducting multiple tests before consulting doctors.