Peoria — Jamie Harwood has been a coroner in Peoria County for six years and has yet to see a death from strep throat until this year.
Since late February, two children in central Illinois have died after being hospitalized with streptococcus: a 4-year-old Peoria girl and a 7-year-old Bloomington girl.
“Both were seemingly healthy children with streptococcal infections. Both were treated appropriately, but unfortunately, everyone responds differently to antibiotics and treatment. “This is the case with these two girls. Their condition continued to deteriorate and the streptococci continued to spread. It was a sad situation that we couldn’t handle.”
What is invasive group A streptococcus?
disease caused by Group A Streptococcus Bacteria such as strep throat and scarlet fever are common and generally cause mild illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Serious complications from streptococci occur when, for unknown reasons, the bacteria migrate to other parts of the body and become invasive.
