Suspected case of scarlet fever recorded at a school in Waterloo

A public school warned parents of a suspected case of scarlet fever last week in Waterloo, a disease the government stopped tracking in 1978.

A representative for Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) confirmed in a statement Dec. 16 that they did send an email out to warn parents last week of the possible scarlet fever case while providing additional updates on Thursday and Friday.

“Staff informed families through a letter and have been in contact with Region of Waterloo Public Health and were provided with information and a link to the Canadian Paediatric Society website, which was shared with families at the school last week.

“We will follow any recommendations from the Region of Waterloo Public Health and recommend families connect with them for these health-related information or details.”

The federal government did track scarlet fever from 1924 to 1978, and online it shows a total of 831,945 cases were recorded in that time. In 1978 however, the government determined that the disease was not invasive and stopped tracking data. The largest recorded scarlet fever cases per year were 1977 and 1978 with over 20,000 cases.

That disease was once considered fatal until antibiotics were invented in the early twentieth century.

Region of Waterloo Public Health in a different statement confirmed that scarlet fever is not reportable but handed out some tips to combat the infection for parents.

“These infections can be treated effectively with antibiotics.  Group A Strep spreads through direct contact with secretions from the nose or throat of an infected person, or by direct contact with infected sores on the skin.  Much less commonly, Group A Strep can lead to more serious infections, known as invasive Group A Strep (iGAS), which is reportable to Public Health. 

While there is no specific vaccine to prevent Group A Strep infection, Public Health encourages people to take the following measures to prevent Group A Strep infections and other common respiratory infections that circulate during the winter months:

– Stay up-to-date with vaccinations if eligible;

– Stay home if you are sick;

– Cover your coughs and sneezes; and

– Wash your hands frequently.