Abstract
The incidence of invasive group A Streptococcus (iGAS) disease in the general population in Alberta, Canada, has been steadily increasing. To determine whether rates for specific populations such as First Nations are also increasing, we investigated iGAS cases among First Nations persons in Alberta during 2003–2017. We identified cases by isolating GAS from a sterile site and performing emm typing. We collected demographic, social, behavioral, and clinical data for patients. During the study period, 669 cases of iGAS in First Nations persons were reported. Incidence increased from 10.0 cases/100,000 persons in 2003 to 52.2 cases/100,000 persons in 2017. The 2017 rate was 6 times higher for the First Nations population than for non–First Nations populations (8.7 cases/100,000 persons). The 5 most common emm types from First Nations patients were 59, 101, 82, 41, and 11. These data indicate that iGAS is severely affecting the First Nations population in Alberta, Canada.
Highlights
The incidence of invasive group A Streptococcus disease in the general population in Alberta, Canada, has been steadily increasing
GAS disease is caused by the gram-positive coccus bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes; invasive GAS disease is typically defined as identification of GAS from any sterile site, including blood, cerebrospinal fluid, brain, and deep tissues
Incidence Over the 15 years reviewed, we found 669 cases of invasive group A Streptococcus (iGAS) in the First Nations population in Alberta; mean annual incidence rate was 28.6 cases/100,000 persons
Summary
The incidence of invasive group A Streptococcus (iGAS) disease in the general population in Alberta, Canada, has been steadily increasing. To determine whether rates for specific populations such as First Nations are increasing, we investigated iGAS cases among First Nations persons in Alberta during 2003–2017. We identified cases by isolating GAS from a sterile site and performing emm typing. The 5 most common emm types from First Nations patients were 59, 101, 82, 41, and 11 These data indicate that iGAS is severely affecting the First Nations population in Alberta, Canada. On the basis of that finding, we explored whether iGAS rates increased for the First Nations population of Alberta during the same period
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