Child in VA dies from strep infection in brain

[colleenrn]

I am not trying to scare anyone, but found this out today and it is too close for comfort in many ways as we are in Va. I was wondering if anyone has any other information. The Henrico County (Richmond) Health Department issued a warning that it was an unusual form of strep.

 

http://www.nbc12.com/category/134132/news

 

Colleen

[nicklemama]

Geez that is scary. I loved the description of symptoms as fever, headache, lethargy. Aren't those symptoms of many different garden variety illnesses? Sounds like you contract this form of strep through open cuts. I'm going to have to go do some googling.

[thenmama]

We're local so I first saw news of this tragedy yesterday. He had invasive strep-- meaning it was not just typical strep throat with a nastier strep bug-- his GABHS infection was in, or spread to, other places in the body-- like blood, brain, lungs, tissue, etc. And yes, Nickelmama, it seems one way it can become invasive is if there are open cuts.

 

I found a bit of info re: invasive strep on the NY State Health site: Strep fact sheet

 

The county this little boy lived in borders Richmond (City) and we apparently do have a more resistant strain of strep around here. Not sure, though, whether that contributed to this sad event-- since it sounds like this can happen with typical GABHS strains, too.

 

It's terrifying stuff!