Health IQ: Strep A has been rising Canada. What are the symptoms?

Strep A infections in Canada: What to know

Over the past year, invasive strep A infections have risen in Canada, according to government data, leading to hospitalizations and some deaths among children.

Invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS) activity in 2023 is higher compared to pre-pandemic years, particularly in children under 15 years of age, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) told Global News in an emailed statement.

And because it’s the heart of cold and flu season, experts warn that other respiratory illnesses, like influenza, can raise the likelihood of getting sick with strep A.

Strep A are bacteria found on the skin and throat that can cause a wide range of diseases in children and adults. Infection occurs from direct contact with infected skin wounds or respiratory fluids when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

“When your body is fighting off one of these viral infections, it’s possible to get a second infection on top of that because of your temporarily weakened immune system,” said Dr. Brian Conway, medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre.

Last month, a four-year-old girl in Winnipeg died after battling an invasive group A streptococcal infection, according to a GoFundMe page created to raise funds for the family.

Read more about where strep A is rising in Canada and what’s behind the increase.

Recall of nasal sprays, massagers

Some personal massagers and nasal sprays are being pulled off the shelves after Health Canada issued several product recalls.

On Thursday, Health Canada issued a recall on Life Brand nasal sprays due to a labelling error. The recall impacts Life Brand’s long-lasting decongestant nasal spray (15 millilitres) and the 20-millilitre decongestant nasal spray.

Nasal sprays are used to help relieve congestion if you have a blocked or stuffy nose. Some can also be used for sneezing, itchy and runny nose.

Health Canada said if people have any health concerns from using the affected products, they should consult their health-care provider and also report any side effects to the agency.

On the same day, the health agency recalled some personal massagers because of fire and burn risks.

Health Canada said Thursday that people should immediately stop using and charging Homedics Therapist Select Percussion Personal Massagers because they can overheat while charging.

Read more about the recalls and what to do if you have bought these products.

— THE TOPIC —

JN.1 is Canada’s dominant COVID-19 subvariant. Is it different?

— WHAT EXPERTS ARE SAYING —

JN.1, first identified in Canada on Oct.9, has rapidly become the dominant subvariant of COVID-19 across the county. This swift rise has led health experts to warn that it might be more infectious and could potentially present additional symptoms.

One expert describes the JN.1 subvariant as a “grandchild” of a new highly-mutated Omicron sub-lineage, BA.2.86, which was first discovered in Europe in August 2023. Although BA.2.86 never took off, its descendent, JN.1 has quickly gained traction.

“It has massively managed to compete with the existing things that were out there, which suggests that it’s either very good at transmitting, and escapes immunity that is otherwise conferred by prior infection or previous vaccination,” explained Ryan Gregory, a professor of integrative biology at the University of Guelph and evolutionary biologist.

“So in other words, it’s different enough that your immune system, having been trained on older variants, doesn’t recognize it as well.”

Although this subvariant may be more effective at evading an immune system, it is currently not known whether JN.1 infections produce different symptoms from other variants.

It has shown typical symptoms of COVID-19, such as fatigue, sore throat and chills, however, Gerald Evans, an infectious disease specialist at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., said he has heard more people report gastrointestinal (GI) issues, such as diarrhea.

“The one thing I have been hearing about, they have GI symptoms, and these are not new, these have been recorded since COVID came out,” he said. “But anecdotally, the number of people having GI symptoms seems to be slightly higher, but you have to be careful with that because it’s an observational bias. But it does strike me that it’s becoming a bit more of a theme in the last month.”