'Beautiful' toddler, 2, died after contracting Strep A alongside brother and sister

A 'beautiful' toddler died after contracting Strep A alongside her siblings. Ava Hodgkinson was just two when she succumbed to sepsis caused by Group A Streptococcus.

The toddler, from Banks near Southport, was hospitalised alongside her older brother and sister towards the end of 2022. Now, her parents face a wait for answers after an inquest into her death was adjourned.

Group A Streptococcus (GAS), also known as Strep A, are bacteria commonly found on the skin or in the throat. Strep A can, in rare circumstances, cause more serious conditions, known as invasive group A Streptococcus (iGAS) infections, which is what Ava developed.

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While Ava's siblings Isaac and Emilia recovered she developed sepsis and tragically died on December 14, 2022. After her death Ava's mum Jade described her as "the most beautiful, caring, funny, kind, most beautiful soul", LancsLive reports.

An inquest into Ava's death had been due to take place today (May 20) at Preston Coroner's Court. However, due to the fact she died from a notifiable disease, the inquest must be heard by a jury and was adjourned to a date to be confirmed.

A pre-inquest review held today (May 20) heard that several NHS organisations are due to give evidence at the final hearing. These include Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Ava's GP practice and a local pharmacy.

Registered medical practitioners have a statutory duty to notify the 'proper officer' at their local council or local health protection team (HPT) of suspected cases of certain infectious illnesses known as notifiable diseases. These include the likes of mumps, whooping cough,