Alberta doctors warn of symptoms as strep A cases across country break records

Health experts across the province are sounding the alarm after a record increase in strep A infections across the country.

According to Dr. Dan Gregson, an infectious disease specialist with the University of Calgary, it’s pretty common for school-aged kids to get Group A strep in their throats.

In adults, it quite often shows up as a skin infection.

But, Gregson says the bigger problem is when the bacteria spread beyond the typical places.

“Occasionally it gets into the bloodstream either from the throat or through the skin and can cause severe infections either within the bloodstream itself or within skin and soft tissues so the muscles which is what people refer to as flesh-eating disease is infections in the muscles or the lining of the muscles,” he explained.

Gregson says in Alberta, strep A cases have been on the rise over the past couple of years, and much like COVID-19, there’s been a higher transmission over the fall and winter months and seniors and kids have been known to have more severe outcomes.

WATCH: Expert advice on treating strep throat and spotting the symptoms

“Record numbers of invasive cases is something that we noticed last year onset in probably October, November of 2022,” the doctor said.

“There are other complications from Streptococcal disease that are seen primarily in children. After sore throats, you could see some complications like scarlet fever in children, you don’t generally see that in adults,” Gregson added. “Death from invasive disease is primarily in younger individuals and older individuals.”

He explains invasive signs to watch for include a rapid fever, which could indicate a spread to the bloodstream.

“The real concerning signs for invasive disease — when the bacteria gets into your blood or into your tissues — in the blood it’s really just a high fever and being unwell, and that has a rapid onset so patients generally show up in [the emergency room] with that,” Gregson said. “With a skin infection — when it’s deeper in the skin — it’s has excruciating pain.”

Regardless, he says even a sore throat needs to be swabbed and diagnosed.

In Ontario, six kids have died from invasive Group A strep since October.