Panel data provided by Madison's Canadian Lumber Reporter.

Flesh Eating Disease Death Poses No Risk to Public

By 250 News

Although there is no risk to the public, Northern Health Unit Medical Officer, Dr. Lorna Medd says public health nurses in four outlying communities are working with  people who had close contact with a woman who died of "flesh eating disease". 

Dr. Medd says the woman (who was not from Prince George) was admitted to PGRH last week where she succumbed to what Dr. Medd says was an "invasive streptococcal infection".

The woman's name has not been released, but Dr. Medd says the likelihood of anyone she had contact with developing the disease is remote.  "The chances of  anyone who was in close contact with this person developing the disease are about 3 in 100,  while the chances of the general public developing this illness are about 3 in 100,000. "  She says contracting the illness has more to do with the state of an individual's immune system.  "People who get this kind of invasive streptococcal  infection usually have some sort of impairment to their immune system, " says Dr. Medd  "It is a very hard disease to catch, normally what happens is a person had a bump or a scratch, and then they come into contact with the dirt carrying the  bug."

Preventive measures are being taken in four different communities as the illness struck over the holidays when family and friends visited the woman who developed the disease.

Dr. Medd says it is very important for people to remember that although uncommon, this disease usually presents itself in the form of pain that is disproportionate to the wound.  "Anyone with that kind of symptom, a scratch or bump that is accompanied by extreme pain, should seek medical treatment ."
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