Licking County Health Department Investigating Death of Southwest Licking Student

December 16, 2011

The Licking County Health Department is investigating the death of a third grade student at Pataskala Elementary School that resulted from a bacterial infection.

“Our department is investigating the death of a Southwest Licking School District student that has been attributed to a group A streptococcal bacterial infection.” said Joe Ebel, Licking County Health Commissioner. “Our staff will continue to work with the Ohio Department of Health and officials from the Southwest Licking School District in order to complete the investigation. On behalf of our department I would like to offer my condolences to the family affected by this tragedy.”

Group A streptococcal (GAS) bacteria are commonly found in the throat or on the skin. Many people carry these types of bacteria and do not have any symptoms or signs of illness. However, GAS can sometimes target areas of the body where bacteria are not normally found such as the blood or lungs which can cause an individual to become significantly ill. There are between 9,000 and 11,500 cases of GAS illness reported each year in the United States, which result in 1,000 to 1,800 deaths.

The spread of all types of GAS infection can be reduced by good hand washing, especially after coughing and sneezing and before preparing foods or eating. Persons with sore throats should be seen by a doctor who can perform tests to find out whether the illness is strep throat. If the test result shows strep throat, the person should stay home from work, school, or day care until 24 hours after taking an antibiotic. All wounds should be kept clean and watched for possible signs of infection such as redness, swelling, drainage, and pain at the wound site. A person with signs of an infected wound, especially if fever occurs, should immediately seek medical care. It is not necessary for all persons exposed to someone with an invasive group A strep infection to receive antibiotic therapy to prevent infection.

For more information regarding GAS bacteria please visit www.lickingcohealth.org or call the Health Department at 740-349-6535.

For More Info: CDC Group A Streptococcal Information

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