Capital Health confirms case of flesh-eating disease

CTV Atlantic: Case of flesh-eating disease A case of flesh-eating disease has been confirmed at Capital Health, but very few details are being released at this time.

A case of flesh-eating disease has been confirmed at Capital Health, but very few details are being released.

If not treated immediately, necrotizing fasciitis spreads rapidly while eating away at tissue, fat, muscle and skin. Roughly one in four cases is fatal.

Health officials won’t confirm the age or gender of the patient involved due to privacy issues. They also won’t confirm whether the patient is still alive.

The Personal Health Information Act led to stricter privacy rules in June 2013.

“The current case goes back a number of months and again, it’s an area that, what we have in place now was in fact followed, the proper protocols,” says Nova Scotia Health Minister Leo Glavine.

Health officials confirm the case of necrotizing fasciitis was caused by Group A strep invasive bacteria.

“So, you and I could have Group A strep in our nose, on our skin,” explains Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief public health officer.

“It’s only when it’s invasive, and that means that we’re finding Group A strep from a site in the body that’s normally sterile.”

According to the Nova Scotia Department of Health, there have been 38 reported cases of Group A strep invasive across the province since Jan. 1, 2013. However, it is unknown how many of those cases developed into necrotizing fasciitis.

One Annapolis Valley teen won her battle with the flesh-eating disease three years ago.

Jessica Hale says just hearing about the new case brings back bad memories.

“It’s awful. I would never wish that on anyone,” says Hale.

The 18-year-old judo star had just finished competing in the 2011 Canada Games when a bruise led to the infection. She spent 25 days in hospital and underwent 10 surgeries, which saved her life.

“It’s hard to say because of how bad it was, but if I waited 12 hours, it would have been a completely different outcome,” says Hale. “I probably wouldn’t have two legs right now.”

The teen is making the most out of her second chance at life – she is preparing for cosmetology courses in the fall and is practicing judo at a national level.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Jayson Baxter