Two children aged five and six die at Liverpool school battling stomach bug outbreak

10 July 2024, 08:19 | Updated: 10 July 2024, 08:23

Two children who went to a Liverpool primary school that is battling an outbreak of an infectious stomach bug have died.

The children, aged five and six, were pupils at Millstead Primary School in Everton.

The school is currently affected by an outbreak of a bug called giardiasis - an infection of the digestive system caused by tiny parasites.

The headteacher of the school said the entire community is "devastated".

 The UKHSA said the causes of the deaths of the two children have not been confirmed and stressed they are "unlikely to be due to giardia".

A spokesperson for the UKHSA said: "UK Health Security Agency are aware of the sad deaths of two children who attend Millstead Primary School and our thoughts are with the family, friends and school community. The deaths are unlikely to be due to giardia. Giardia usually causes a self-limiting gastrointestinal illness which can spread easily in households and school settings.”

Emma Savage, consultant in health protection for the UKHSA Cheshire and Merseyside Health Protection Team, said: “Investigations are ongoing, and we have provided information and advice to the school and parents. Public health measures have been put in place to help prevent further cases.”

The Liverpool ECHO reported that the school closed for a week as it attempted to break the growth in infections.