- VICTORIA - Flesh eating disease
claimed the life of a 61-year old Victoria woman one week ago.
-
- She died at home when an aggressive strain of group a
streptococcus began eating away at her left leg.
-
- There have been 16 cases of this group A strep in Victoria
since September but only one health warning.
-
- "It probably took the death of that individual to
personalize it, that this can not only happen to people, but it can happen
to people in Victoria," said Vancouver Island chief health officer
Dr. Richard Stanwick. "The only reason we didn't have a death sooner
was some spectacular work on the part of the staff in the Vancouver Island
health authority."
-
- Dr. Stanwick sent a letter to Greater Victoria physicians
on New Year's Eve.
-
- The same day, CH news broke the story about the virulent
strain of group A streptococcus. That caution was enough according to a
Victoria infectious disease specialist.
-
- "I see no need for a public health warning,"
said infectious disease specialist Dr. Wayne Ghesquiere. "It just
raises anxiety."
-
- "They've done a very good job of educating physicians
and that's where it has to come."
-
- Ghesquiere has treated most of 16 victims of group A
strep -- six of those suffered from flesh eating disease. The rest had
illnesses from abscesses to blood poisoning.
-
- Greater Victorians have now been warned about the deadly
bacteria.
-
- "If there is concerned about their health, they
should see their family doctor," said Ghesquiere. "This is not
something that warrants someone with a sore throat or stubbed toe running
off to the emergency room."
-
- Keeping panic to a minimum was part of the reason a public
advisory wasn't issued.
-
- "This is a matter of balancing being overly cautious
and being alarmist and it's a fine balance," said Stanwick.
-
- But the public should be concerned about flesh eating
disease and the streptococcus bacteria that causes it. Doctors are finding
it difficult to battle with antibiotics.
-
- "This germ is so potent," said Stanwick. "It
is continually trying to change its formula to attack us and hurt us and
propagate."
-
- Health authorities will not say whether there are any
more cases of strep A in Greater Victoria.
-
- For more information on group A strep, check out the
BC Health Guide web site.
-
- © Copyright2002 CH
-
-
- http://www.canada.com/va
|
