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Danniella Westbrook rushed to hospital after strep A 'left her hours from death'

Watch: Danniella Westbrook shares hospital trip on Instagram

Danniella Westbrook has thanked the NHS after being rushed to hospital with a high fever and Strep A.

The 49-year-old actor caused concern among her fans after posting Instagram stories from her hospital bed on Thursday evening.

Giving a health updated on Friday morning, Westbrook told those worried she had been diagnosed with Strep A. She was also dealing with septics and a high temperature of 39.8 (103).

Danniella Westbrook was hurt by the comments made about her nose on Gogglebox. (Getty Images)
Danniella Westbrook (Getty Images)

Alongside a selfie, she wrote: "[Whipps] cross just saved my life and I am forever grateful. If you have this flu bug and tight chest ring an ambulance. I was hours away from a cardiac arrest my chest was so tight. Now I need complete bed rest for a few days."

She later added on an Instagram story that she 'would have had a heart attack had she left it to the morning'.

Strep A has seen a sharp rise in recent weeks within the UK, with parents in particular being urged to be careful should their children come down with symptoms.

Read more: Strep A: 30 ill after outbreak at primary school in Wales

Officially titled Group A streptococcus (GAS) - Strep A is a type of bacterium found in the throat and on the skin.

Danniella Westbrook (Getty)
Danniella Westbrook (Getty)

It can cause a range of different illnesses of the nose, throat and lungs, and can be spread through coughs, sneezes and skin-to-skin contact.

It can largely be treated with penicillin and without need to worry.

Symptoms for Strep A include pain when swallowing, fever, swollen tonsils with white patches, swollen neck glands, a high temperature or a skin rash.

Read more: Danniella Westbrook looking forward to being a grandma 

However, it can also develop into IGAS – invasive Group A streptococcus – a more severe form of infection which will require faster and in some cases emergency attention.

Danniella Westbrook shares update from her hospital bed after being rushed in with Strep A
Danniella Westbrook shares update from her hospital bed after being rushed in with Strep A

The most severe forms of invasive GAS disease are Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome — symptoms of which include high fever, low blood pressure, scarlet fever, kidney or liver damage and vomiting and diarrhoea.

Parents have been advised to be on the lookout for symptoms in their children, including a "sandpaper-type rash", loss of appetite, drowsiness and a sore throat that doesn't ease with painkillers.

Watch: What is Strep A infection?