Prince Edward Island is seeing a higher-than-usual number of cases of a bacterial infection that has caused deaths in other parts of the country.
Group A strep is caused by a type of streptococcus bacteria commonly found in the nose and throat of up to 30 per cent of children and one per cent of adults, according to P.E.I.’s Chief Public Health Office.
The bacterium is mostly known for causing a sore throat (strep throat), skin and wound infections, and scarlet fever. In rare cases, it can cause serious disease by invading areas of the body where it is not usually found; these occurrences are referred to as invasive Group A strep.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says there were more than 4,600 cases in the country in 2023, representing a jump of 40 per cent over the previous yearly high, back in 2019.
In the fall of 2023, invasive Group A strep was responsible for 48 deaths in Ontario, with six children among the dead.
New Brunswick reported 10 deaths in 2023, and there have already been two deaths in that province so far this year.
P.E.I. rate also jumped in 2023
Prince Edward Island’s CPHO couldn’t say how many deaths — if any — were caused by invasive Group A strep last year.
