Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2010/02/21/t9.html
Scarlet fever cases explode by one hundred times
James Debono
The number of individual cases of scarlet fever has shot up from just one case in 2007 to 100 in 2009, statistics from the Disease Survellience Unit show.
Scarlet fever is most common in children under 10 who develop a red rash, which consists of very small red bumps which feel like sandpaper.
One of the reasons for this massive increase could be the introduction of a new strain of scarlet fever, producing bacteria known as Group A Streptococcus Pyogenes, a spokesperson of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit told MaltaToday.
The increase could be due to the fact that the Maltese lack immunity for this slightly different strain of the bacteria, medical sources added.
The number of clusters in which the infection spread in 2009 was among three persons, each occurring in households amongst siblings.Another reason for the higher incidence could be the heightened awareness amongst physicians of the disease. ?Consequently this is resulting in more referral for laboratory testing,? MaltaToday was told...
Scarlet fever cases explode by one hundred times
James Debono
The number of individual cases of scarlet fever has shot up from just one case in 2007 to 100 in 2009, statistics from the Disease Survellience Unit show.
Scarlet fever is most common in children under 10 who develop a red rash, which consists of very small red bumps which feel like sandpaper.
One of the reasons for this massive increase could be the introduction of a new strain of scarlet fever, producing bacteria known as Group A Streptococcus Pyogenes, a spokesperson of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Unit told MaltaToday.
The increase could be due to the fact that the Maltese lack immunity for this slightly different strain of the bacteria, medical sources added.
The number of clusters in which the infection spread in 2009 was among three persons, each occurring in households amongst siblings.Another reason for the higher incidence could be the heightened awareness amongst physicians of the disease. ?Consequently this is resulting in more referral for laboratory testing,? MaltaToday was told...