B.C. doctor urges vaccination, vigilance in wake of children's strep A deaths

An electron microscope image shows Group A Streptococcus in orange. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-NIAID via AP

Getting children vaccinated and being vigilant are the two most important things parents and caregivers can do to protect kids from invasive group A strep as B.C. sees a rise in infections and deaths, according to an infectious disease specialist.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control first warned of a spike in these bacterial infections in December of 2023. In the month that followed, four children under 10 died.

Dr. Brian Conway notes that all four of these children developed the deadly infection after they were already sick with a respiratory illness – influenza in two cases and human metapneumovirus in the others. Those initial viruses weakened the children's immune systems, rendering them more vulnerable to serious illness from the infection that causes strep throat.

"If it's caught early enough, it can easily be treated with antibiotics and has little consequence in the long term. In some cases, the bacteria constraint into the bloodstream, cause invasive group A strep infection and have very serious consequences, including in the four deaths that have been reported," he told CTV Morning Live on Tuesday.

In 2023, five children died in the province. In 2022, there was one death, according to the BCCDC.

Because respiratory illness is more common among children than adults, Conway says vaccination against COVID and the flu is the "first line of defence," because it will protect kids from those initial viruses and decrease the likelihood of co-infection. Province-wide, he says, people are under-vaccinated this year compared to historical averages.

"Not being immunized increases the likelihood of respiratory infection and may increase the risk of having group A strep on top of that," Conway says.

"As a general population, we just seem to have gotten tired of getting our shots," he adds.

For parents and caregivers with sick kids, Conway says a fever that is not responding to acetaminophen, sudden shortness of breath, lethargy and a lack of appetite are all potential causes for concern.

"Be vigilant. If the child looks like they're much sicker than then you expect, trust yourself, bring them to the emergency room. The health-care system is overwhelmed. But this is an emergency. This is something that needs to be assessed," he says.

The BCCDC's website has more information about invasive strep A and its symptoms.