Four children die as strep A infections double normal levels in BC
BC’s Provincial Health Services Authority is issuing a warning as invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) bacterial infections have spiked to double their normal level this winter, contributing to four children’s deaths so far.
This follows an alert from Ontario, where nearly 50 people, including six children, died with the infection from October to December.
PHSA has recorded 60 cases of iGAS in people under 20 this winter, which is three times the number of infections observed last year.
What’s more, four children under the age of 10 with a group A strep infection have died in BC since mid-December. Two of the children had a concurrent flu infection, and two had another viral respiratory illness called human metapneumovirus.
“Invasive bacterial infections tend to be more common during winter months, in association with viral respiratory infections. Though deaths associated with iGAS infection in children are rare, severe outcomes have been reported this respiratory season,” PHSA said in a news release.
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The bacteria usually cause mild illness, but infections can become dangerous if the pathogen invades the lungs and blood or spreads along tissue to surrounding muscle.
Complications of an iGAS infection include pneumonia, sepsis, toxic shock syndrome, and necrotizing fasciitis. Those with chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and heart or lung disease are more at risk, as are people who are very young or elderly.
The BC Centre for Disease Control advises families to seek medical care if their children experience the following symptoms:
- Fever lasting longer than five days
- Fever with a fine red rash (sandpaper texture), a full-body rash similar to sunburn, or a swollen tongue
- A fever in a child under three months old
- A fever in a child with immune system issues of complex, chronic health conditions
- A child struggling to breathe
- Pale skin, whitish or blue lips
- A child who is struggling to wake up
- A child who becomes very sick very quickly
Rates of iGAS have been rising in BC, with 6.2 cases per 100,000 people reported in 2016, then 7.4 cases per 100,000 people reported in 2022, and 10.8 cases per 100,000 people reported in 2023.
Back in December, the BC CDC issued a bulletin saying it’s seeing double the number of expected infections. Now that four children have died, provincial health agencies are sounding the alarm.