Twelve people have died of a rare bacterial infection in the UK.

Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) said there have been 32 cases of the infection, known as invasive Group A streptococcus (iGAS), in the mid Essex area.

It said most of the patients that have been affected are elderly and have been receiving treatment for chronic wounds, either in their own homes or care homes.

An incident management team has been set up alongside extra control measures to prevent the infection spreading further.

Group A streptococcus can be found on the skin and in the throat and generally causes only minor illnesses like strep throat or scarlet fever.

It becomes ‘invasive’ when it enters the body – where it can potentially cause severe and life-threatening conditions.

The NHS said there is an “extremely low risk of serious infection to healthy people.”

Rachel Hearn, Director of Nursing and Quality at the NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group said: “Our thoughts are with the families of those patients who have died.”

“The risk of contracting iGAS is very low for the vast majority of people and treatment with antibiotics is very effective if started early,” she said.

“We will continue to work with our partners in Public Health England to investigate how this outbreak occurred and take every possible step to ensure our local community is protected.”

Main image shows a Scanning electron micrograph of Group A Streptococcus bacteria on primary human neutrophil. Image: NIAID