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Sunday, December 24, 2023

B.C. CDC warns of high levels of strep infections in kids - Vancouver Sun

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B.C. heath officials are warning of high levels of group A streptococcal infections, especially among children, this season.

As of Friday, there have been 51 cases in people under 20, which the B.C. Centre for Disease Control says is more than twice the number recorded last year.

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The agency says this type of strep typically causes mild illness such as strep throat or impetigo, a skin infection.

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While most people will recover with antibiotics, these infections can become more dangerous when the bacteria invade the lungs, blood, or spread along the tissue surrounding a muscle.

More severe infections can cause pneumonia or sepsis and include conditions such as toxic shock syndrome and necrotizing fasciitis, according to the B.C. CDC.

These conditions can be life-threatening, and health officials say people with chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and chronic heart or lung disease, and those who use medications such as steroids, are at higher risk.

The B.C. CDC says these serious infections are rare.

Parents should seek medical attention for their kids if they have a fever lasting more than five days, a fever with a fine red rash or a full body rash like a sun burn, and/or a red, swollen tongue.

Parents should also watch out for a fever in a child under three-months of age, especially a child with immune system issues or complex chronic health conditions.

Other symptoms to be on alert for include difficulty breathing, pale skin, whitish or blue lips, and extreme sleepiness.

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Rates of strep infections have been increasing in B.C. since 2016, when there were 303 cases reported in B.C. across all age groups, according to the B.C. CDC.

In 2022, there were 466 cases across all ages. So far this year, there have been 547 cases at a rate of 10.1 cases per 100,000 people.

Health officials said several other countries and regions in Canada have also seen a higher frequency of these infections in children.

ticrawford@postmedia.com

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B.C. CDC warns of high levels of strep infections in kids - Vancouver Sun
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