Public health monitoring flesh-eating disease cases in Terrebonne
Doctors in Terrebonne are concerned about a cluster of cases of flesh-eating disease after four people have been admitted to hospital over the past 10 days and one of them died.
Public health issued an alert to health-care workers in the province to be on the lookout and to investigate cases where the patient presents symptoms that could be flesh-eating disease.
Four recent cases of necrotizing fasciitis at Le Gardeur Hospital in Terrebonne, a suburb north of Montreal, were not linked, meaning the patients weren't in contact with each other.
The protocol for the immediate family is to be treated with antibiotics as a preventative measure.
Since health-care staff are required to declare the condition, public health is investigating. Since Jan. 1, there have been 332 cases in Quebec, which is almost as much as for all of last year when, for the 12-month period, there were 395 cases.
What could explain the surge?
One doctor who spoke to CTV News said many comparisons of current illnesses in the past few years can be misleading because, during the pandemic, nearly everyone was wearing a mask and washing their hands more frequently. As public health measures have been lifted, certain illnesses can flare up again.
The condition is a fast-moving illness that comes from the same family of bacteria that causes strep throat.
Dr. Donald Vinh, an infectious disease expert at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), said most cases occur after an injury to the skin that becomes red, followed by a rapidly developed illness.
"When I say rapidly, I mean a few hours to maybe a few days you are very sick, that area is extremely painful, you're having fevers," Vinh said.
Montreal Public Health told CTV News it is aware of the cases in Terrebonne but said there have been no known cases on the island.
The message from Vinh and others is to monitor any cuts, pay attention to them if they deteriorate quickly and, if that's the case, to have them looked at by a health-care professional.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.