N.S. sees slight increase in invasive strep A infections

Nova Scotia Health is seeing an increase in the number of cases of invasive strep A infections reported across the province.

But it’s not surprising that cases are up after the number of cases dropped off while COVID-19 restrictions were in place. 

Brendan Elliott, Nova Scotia Health spokesman, said Nova Scotia had some of the lowest rates of invasive strep A infections during the first three years of the pandemic. 

“During that time, one of the public health measures was to decrease the number of interactions with people,” Elliott said in an emailed response. 

“This measure was found to have prevented the spread of all kinds of other communicable diseases, including a drop in invasive strep A infections.” 

As many people return to the routines and social lives they had after pandemic restrictions eased, many communicable diseases have resurfaced to their typical numbers.

However, Elliott said the number of cases of invasive strep A infection this year has been “a little bit higher” than last year. 

“What we’re seeing this year is a typical flu season that matches pre-pandemic trends,” Elliott said, adding “we tend to see a lot more disease activity when it comes to the viral infections.”

Strep throat is a bacterial infection that causes sore throats and fever. Invasive strep A is when the common strep A bacteria spreads and infects areas such as the lungs or blood and can be serious or life-threatening. 

The number of cases of invasive strep A were in the 50s in 2018 and 2019, but dipped to 22 in 2020. Case numbers hit a low in 2021, with only eight cases reported, and then saw a slight increase of 18 cases in 2022. 

But in 2023, there were 96 cases of the infection. So far this year, there have been 10 cases reported across Nova Scotia. 

“Here in Nova Scotia, our trend has been primarily seeing diseases in those over the age of 65,” Elliott said.

When it comes to invasive strep A infections, Elliott said it’s usually the extreme of ages: children under the age of five or people over the age of 65.

The common symptoms of strep throat are: 

• fever
• severe pain with swallowing
• red and swollen tonsils
• white latches or pus on the tonsils
• swollen lymph nodes.

Less common symptoms include headache, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and a rash. 

Elliott said depending on where a person is assessed, a clinician can diagnose strep throat based on a throat swab. 

While people often hear about how busy emergency departments are across Nova Scotia, Elliott stressed they are not turning away patients with symptoms such as a sore throat. 

“It is crucial to emphasize to the public they should still seek emergency medical care if they are experiencing a true emergency, regardless of how busy or understaffed the hospital may be,” Elliott said.

“Our emergency department is equipped to handle emergencies of all kinds, and our staff is trained to provide timely and compassionate care, even during busy periods.” 

He noted, however, that there are other options for someone with strep throat to be seen by a health-care professional, such as a pharmacy, urgent treatment centre, mobile clinic or through virtual care.