Invasive Group A Streptococcus

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a bacteria commonly found in the throat and on the skin of healthy people. It can cause strep throat, scarlet fever, skin infections and other non-life threatening conditions. In very rare cases, GAS can become invasive. The most severe and least common forms of invasive GAS are necrotizing fasciitis (NF), also known as the "flesh eating disease", and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS). For more information, see the health unit's iGAS Fact Sheet.

The following graph shows the number of invasive GAS cases in Simcoe Muskoka between 2000 and 2008. There are many factors that influence how many cases are reported to the health unit, as explained on the Infectious Diseases page.

The following graph shows the incidence rate of invasive GAS in Simcoe Muskoka and Ontario between 2000 and 2008.

The incidence rate in Simcoe Muskoka is very similiar to the Ontario rate for most years. Neither incidence rate displays an overall trend for this time period. There is alot of variability in the rates, which means that there are many peaks and valleys and it is difficult to determine whether an increase is significant or whether it is within the expected range for this disease in these populations.  The increases in the Simcoe Muskoka incidence rate in 2007 has been investigated.  The investigation revealed no evidence of clusters or links between cases.