Increasing Incidence of Invasive Group A Streptococcus Disease in First Nations Population, Alberta, Canada, 2003–2017

• Published in: Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Main Authors: Gregory J. Tyrrell, Christopher Bell, Lea Bill, Sumana Fathima
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2021
• Subjects: First Nations; invasive group A streptococcus disease; iGAS; Streptococcus pyogenes; emm type; high incidence; Medicine; R; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Canada
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2702.201945; https://doaj.org/article/400a2d4d1a3645f1820c920b53efc5a0

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.