Victorian health authorities are warning of a marked increase in a dangerous bacterial infection that caused the recent deaths of two children and sent many more into intensive care.
An infection caused by the group A streptococcus bacteria mostly triggers mild symptoms including a sore throat, but in rarer cases can lead to life-threatening invasive group A streptococcal infections.
The Victorian Health Department says it is “closely monitoring the situation” following an increase in cases here and overseas. An alert issued by Victoria’s hospital safety watchdog late last month said the Royal Children’s Hospital and Monash Children’s Hospital had detected 42 cases of invasive group A streptococcal infections.
Dr Norelle Sherry, the deputy director of a Doherty Institute public health laboratory that conducts surveillance testing for invasive group A streptococcus, said cases dropped to about a third of their usual rate during the pandemic when Melbourne spent more than 260 days in lockdown. “While the overall risk of invasive group A strep for the general population remains low, young children, pregnant or postpartum women, and older people are at increased risk,” he said.
“If it invades the bloodstream, that’s when you get invasive group A strep, which is what we are worried about here. And then from the bloodstream, it can spread to other parts of the body.”
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