KAWARTHA LAKES-Health officials in London, Ontario have issued an alert, saying nine people have died in an invasive group A streptococcus outbreak. The Middlesex-London Health Unit says there have been more than 132 cases of infection reported since April 1, 2016 with 22 per cent requiring treatment in intensive care, 15 per cent developed Toxic Shock Syndrome and 15 per cent came down with “flesh-eating” disease.
The Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit says there have been 11 cases of Group A streptococcal infection in this region in 2017. “The number of local Group A strep cases in 2017 is roughly on par with what the HKPR District Health Unit would see in a typical year.” Marianne Rock, Manager of Communicable Disease Control, Epidemiology and Evaluatiion with the HKPR told Kawartha 411. Officials would not say if any of these cases required hospitalization or if anyone became seriously ill, citing patient privacy.
Group A streptococcus is a bacteria often found in the throat and on the skin and is spread through direct contact with mucus from the nose or throat of persons who are infected or through contact with infected wounds or sores on the skin.
Symptoms may include fever, sore throat, dizziness, chills, confusion, redness or swelling around a wound or injured area and severe pain.
Officials recommend the following measures to protect yourself from the infection:
- wash your hands thoroughly and often
- sneeze and cough into your sleeves
- stay home from work and school if you are sick
- make sure your immunizations are all up-to-date
- Eating well, getting sufficient sleep and being physically active on a regular basis also helps keep your body’s immune system strong.
</divphoto credit: Pip_Wilson Pip in coma at Newcastle via photopin (license)
