On January 11, 2024, Public Health Ontario published a report about invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) disease activity in the province between October 1, and December 31, 2023. The statistics shown in this report indicated that reported cases were increasing in 2023 compared to recent years, especially in November and December.
Although this disease is caused by the same bacterium responsible for the common ‘strep throat,’ when it is ‘invasive’ it presents more serious symptoms, even fatality. Of the 540 cases reported in Ontario between October 1 and December 31, 412 cases (or 76.3%) required hospitalization, and 48 (or 8.9%) resulted in fatality.
Trent Radio contacted Peterborough Public Health’s Infectious Disease Team to learn about the local presence of iGAS. Peterborough showed similar trends to the province, with 2023 having the highest reported number of iGAS cases in recent years.
