At least six children have died in Ontario amid an alarming surge of strep A infections across Canada, setting off alarm bells for health experts and parents.
The Canadian Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (CNDSS) warned earlier this month that invasive group A streptococcus activity was trending higher in 2023 than in pre-pandemic years, particularly among children younger than 15 years old. As of Jan. 9, more than 4,600 cases had been logged by CNDSS for 2023, the highest annual total that has ever been recorded. Before this, the highest was recorded in 2019, with roughly 3,200 infections detected.
Group A streptococcus is a bacteria that can cause several illnesses. Most of these are mild, such as strep throat, and can be resolved with the right antibiotics.
However, more invasive infections can land a patient in hospital or even result in death. Some of the complications that come with serious infections include pneumonia, sepsis or toxic shock syndrome, or even a flesh-eating disease.
From Oct. 2023 to the end of December, 540 infections were reported in Ontario alone. Around eight per cent of all pediatric cases had a fatal outcome. Other provinces have also reported an uptick in cases recently, such as B.C., Manitoba and New Brunswick.
The increase in cases is causing anxiety for parents across the country as respiratory illness season leaves many with enduring sniffles and coughs.
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