As Christmas approaches, Santé Montréal reports four cases of group A streptococcus in Montreal children, including two deaths, since mid-November, compared to a single case listed between 2017 and 2021, and issues a call for vigilance among health professionals.
Here are five things to know regarding this very common bacterium in the population, but which can sometimes cause serious complications.
– Group A strep is a bacteria that is commonly found in the throat and on the skin of many healthy people.
– About 20% of healthy people are carriers, without being sick.
– The bacteria can sometimes cause mild symptoms like sore throat or skin infections like scarlet fever.
– When it gets under the skin, it can cause a serious muscle disease called “flesh-eating bacteria”.
– This is fatal in 10 to 15% of cases, depending on the site of infection.
– The bacteria can be treated with antibiotics such as penicillin or amoxicillin.
Serious infections caused by group A streptococcus can manifest with fever, severe discomfort or severe pain at the infected site, including redness that can spread quickly.
Complications can also cause pneumonia, blood infection, or multiple organ damage with toxic shock.
It is mainly people who are infected with the serious infection of the bacteria who can transmit it, and this by contact with droplets from the nose or throat.
Very rarely, people carrying the bacteria who are healthy can also transmit the virus through droplets.
Group A streptococcus is also transmitted through contact with skin or infected wounds.
People aged 65 and over, with a chronic illness or having been in close contact with a person with severe infection of the bacteria as well as young children are at greater risk when they are infected.
Santé Montreal recommends that parents watch for symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat or headache accompanied by a skin infection with significant pain in their children.
Vaccination once morest influenza and chickenpox is also recommended.
Both of these diseases increase the chances of developing an invasive group A strep infection.
Public Health also recommends that the rest of the population stay home if they are sick, wash their hands frequently and practice good respiratory etiquette, coughing into their elbow and wearing a mask if sick.
Source : Health Montreal