Saskatchewan sees strep throat, measles cases as winter rages on

1:32 Rise in Strep Throat in Saskatchewan

While people across Saskatchewan stay inside with extreme temperatures outside, a number of illnesses are infiltrating homes.

Strep A cases have been on the rise across Canada, and Saskatchewan is no different.

According to the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), 2023 saw some of the highest numbers of strep cases in the last five years.

As of the end of November, the SHA said 176 cases were reported.

In 2022, there were only 100 positive cases, while the five-year average sits at 151 cases annually.

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“I’ve actually treated just over 20 cases since mid-November,” nurse practitioner Joelynne Radbourne said.

“There has been quite a manageable rise in the amount of presentations for sore throat, as well as the confirmed positive strep throat cultures that I’ve been getting back.”

And while there have been no reports of new strains of strep in the province, the virus can be damaging.

“We are seeing more and more complications from strep throat because they’re going untreated,” Radbourne said. “Typically, there are a few risk factors with untreated strep, like rheumatic fever and scarlet fever.

“If untreated, it can lead to kidney damage, heart disease, kidney inflammation and so then it can become quite septic and it can lead to hospitalization if left untreated for a prolonged period.”

Strep, however, isn’t the only virus causing issues.

On Friday, the SHA announced a case of measles in a Saskatoon resident that was acquired through international travel.

“The SHA is notifying the public of an exposure risk to the measles virus in Saskatoon,” the SHA said.

Symptoms include having a fever, cough, red eyes, fatigue, small white spots, red blotchy rash and more.

According to the latest CRISP report, there is good news on the health care front as COVID-19 cases continue to decline.

“The number of positive tests for COVID-19 has been decreasing for the past ten weeks from 496 in the week ending November 11, 2023, to 173 in the week ending January 13, 2024,” the report said,

Influenza numbers also continue to decrease for the sixth consecutive week.

Hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses in total have decreased nearly 26 per cent from 371 to 276 over the past two weeks.