HEALTH bosses have confirmed another person has died following the Strep A outbreak in mid Essex.

The death takes the number of fatalities during the outbreak to 14.

NHS bosses refused to say when the victim died, but confirmed they had previously been treated for invasive Group A Streptococcus – iGAS.

The Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group said in a statement: "Following regular communications with the patients and their families affected by this outbreak, we have been informed that a patient in mid Essex who had previously been treated for iGAS earlier in the year has sadly died.

"Our thoughts are with their family.

"We are reporting this retrospectively having completed investigations to conclude that their death is linked to this outbreak.

"To protect patient confidentiality we are unable to confirm when they had iGAS or when they passed away.

"This means that of the 37 people affected by iGAS, 33 are confirmed as part of this outbreak and four are probable cases.

"Fourteen people have sadly died."

The outbreak was first made public in June this year.