The Argentina National Ministry of Health has been monitoring invasive group A streptococcus since 2018. Streptococcus pyogenes is a Gram-positive bacterium and is the most frequent bacterial cause of acute pharyngitis and skin infections such as impetigo, cellulitis and scarlet fever.
During 2023, the National Health Surveillance System (SNVS) was notified of 118 confirmed cases of invasive infection by Streptococcus Pyogenes throughout the country, of which 16 died. The provinces with the highest number of confirmed cases accumulated in 2023 are Buenos Aires (35), Santa Fe (20), Chubut (10) and Tierra del Fuego (10).
In relation to confirmed cases of invasive infection by Streptococcus pyogenes in previous years (2019-2022), the highest number of cases had been registered in 2022 with 75 reported cases. The number of cases in 2023 represents an increase of 281% over the same period in 2019.
It should be noted that this happens in the international context in which on December 8, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that at least five Member States of the European region (France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) had reported an increase in the number of cases of invasive disease caused by group A streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes) and on December 19, 2022, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) also issued a communicated due to an increase in cases registered in Uruguay.
As mentioned, Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as group A Streptococcus, commonly causes mild illnesses such as tonsillitis, pharyngitis, impetigo, cellulitis, and scarlet fever. However, on rare occasions, the infection can lead to invasive disease that can cause life-threatening conditions and is responsible for more than 500,000 deaths annually worldwide.
Transmission occurs through close contact with an infected person and can be transmitted through coughing, sneezing, or contact with a wound.
The incubation period for the disease varies according to the clinical presentation, between 1 to 3 days. Treatment of infected persons with antibiotics for at least 24 hours usually eliminates their ability to spread.
Pharyngitis is diagnosed by bacterial cultures and is treated with antibiotics. Hand hygiene and personal hygiene can help control transmission.
For these reasons, the Ministry of Health of the Nation issues the following recommendations to the population.
The symptoms of pharyngitis are sore throat; fever; headaches; abdominal pain; nausea and vomiting; redness of the pharynx and tonsils; bad breath; enlarged nodes in the neck.
Regarding scarlet fever, the most frequent symptoms are a red and sore throat; fever (38.3 °C or more); red rash with sandpaper texture; deep red skin in armpit, elbow, and groin folds; whitish coating over tongue or back of throat; “raspberry” tongue; headache; nausea or vomiting; swollen glands; body aches.
In the presence of some of these symptoms, it is important to avoid self-medication with antibiotics and to consult a doctor for a timely diagnosis.
In the case of receiving a medical indication for antibiotic treatment, it is essential to complete the scheme (do not shorten or abandon treatments early), since the inappropriate use of antibiotics promotes bacterial resistance, a fact that threatens their effectiveness in the future.
Sick people should avoid going to public places (work, school) and restrict household contacts. It is also important to wash your hands frequently; Do not share objects for personal use (cutlery, glasses, towels, among others) and adequately and regularly ventilate the environments.
Finally, the national health portfolio additionally reminds that all people must have up-to-date influenza and COVID-19 vaccination, especially those with risk factors.
In this way, pregnant people should receive the flu or influenza vaccine in any trimester of pregnancy (in case of not having been vaccinated during pregnancy, the mother must do so within 10 days after delivery); boys and girls from 6 to 24 months, who must be given 2 doses separated by at least 4 weeks if they have not previously received two doses of influenza vaccine (those who do have at least two doses of influenza vaccine should receive only one dose).
Risk groups also have a vaccination prescription: people from 2 to 64 years of age who present certain conditions such as respiratory and heart diseases; diabetics; congenital or acquired immunodeficiencies (not oncohematological); people with obesity oncohematological patients and transplant recipients; cohabitants of oncohematological patients; people with chronic renal failure on dialysis or with expectations of entering dialysis in the following six months; people with severe developmental delay in children under 18 years of age; those who maintain chronic treatment with acetylsalicylic acid while under 18 years of age; people with genetic syndromes; with neuromuscular diseases with respiratory compromise and severe congenital malformations and cohabitants of premature infants weighing less than 1,500 g, among others. all the above,
Meanwhile, against COVID-19, people with a high risk of serious illness and complications, that is, people 50 years of age or older, should receive the primary schedule and booster doses every 6 months; people with immunocompromised and pregnant people. For their part, people with intermediate risk, that is, under 50 years of age with non-immunosuppressive comorbidities (chronic diseases and obesity), should receive the primary scheme, a booster dose at six months and then an annual booster dose; health personnel and strategic personnel. Finally, those with low risk will receive a full primary schedule and an annual booster, that is, people under 50 years of age without comorbidities.
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Wizara ya Afya ya Argentina imesoma kwa makini ugonjwa wa Streptococcus ya kundi la A tangu mwaka 2018. Streptococcus pyogenes ni bakteria ya Gram-positive na ni kisababishi cha bakteria cha mara kwa mara cha pharyngitis kali na maambukizi ya ngozi kama vile impetigo, cellulitis na homa nyekundu. Katika kipindi cha mwaka wa 2023, mfumo wa kitaifa wa ufuatiliaji wa afya (SNSV) uliripotiwa visa 118 vilivyothibitishwa vya maambukizi ya Streptococcus pyogenes nchini kote, ambayo 16 yalisababisha vifo. Mikoa yenye idadi kubwa zaidi ya kesi zilizothibitishwa katika mwaka wa 2023 ni Buenos Aires (35), Santa Fe (20), Chubut (10), na Tierra del Fuego (10). Kwa mujibu wa ripoti ya mwaka wa 2020, idadi ya watu waliojeruhiwa na Streptococcus pyogenes (SPC) ilizidi asilimia 50 na asilimia 50 walioripotiwa kuwa na ugonjwa huo. Idadi ya kesi katika mwaka huu inawakilisha ongezeko la asilimia 281 ikilinganishwa na kipindi hicho hicho mwaka 2019. "Kwa mujibu wa taarifa ya Shirika la Afya Duniani (WHO) mnamo Desemba 8, 2020, nchi tano za Ulaya (Ufaransa, Ireland, Uholanzi, Sweden na Uingereza) ziliripoti ongezeko la idadi ya kesi za ugonjwa wa kuambukiza unaosababishwa na ""Streptococcus pyogenes"" na ""Ukanda wa Amerika"" (PAHO) pia ilitoa taarifa ya kuambukizwa kwa sababu ya ongezeko la kesi zilizosajiliwa nchini Uruguay." Streptococcus pyogenes, pia inajulikana kama kundi A Streptococcus, kwa kawaida husababisha magonjwa ya upole kama vile tonsillitis, pharyngitis, impetigo, cellulitis, na homa nyekundu. Hata hivyo, katika visa vichache, maambukizi yanaweza kusababisha ugonjwa wa kuambukiza ambao unaweza kusababisha hali hatari ya maisha na ni wajibu wa vifo zaidi ya 500,000 kila mwaka duniani kote. Uambukizi hutokea kupitia mawasiliano ya karibu na mtu aliyeambukizwa na inaweza kupitishwa kupitia kikohozi, kupiga chafya, au kuwasiliana na jeraha. Kipindi cha incubation cha ugonjwa huo hutofautiana kulingana na maonyesho ya kliniki, kati ya siku 1 hadi 3. Matibabu ya watu walioambukizwa na antibiotics kwa angalau masaa 24 kwa kawaida huondoa uwezo wao wa kuenea. Ugonjwa wa pharyngitis hugunduliwa kwa kutumia bakteria na kutibiwa kwa kutumia viuavijasumu. Usafi wa mikono na usafi wa kibinafsi waweza kusaidia kudhibiti maambukizi. Kwa sababu hizi, Wizara ya Afya ya Taifa inatoa mapendekezo yafuatayo kwa idadi ya watu. Dalili za pharyngitis ni maumivu ya koo; homa; maumivu ya kichwa; maumivu ya tumbo; kichefuchefu na kutapika; mwekundu wa pharynx na tonsils; pumzi mbaya; nodes kupanuliwa katika shingo. Katika ugonjwa wa homa ya rangi nyekundu, dalili za kawaida ni homa ya koo na maumivu; homa (Celsius 38.3 au zaidi); mlipuko mwekundu na muundo wa karatasi ya mchanga; ngozi nyekundu sana katika vifuniko vya paja, kiwiko, na kiuno; rangi nyeupe juu ya ulimi au nyuma ya koo; ulimi wa raspberry; maumivu ya kichwa; kichefuchefu au kutapuka; kibofu kilichofurika; maumivu ya mwili. Ikiwa kuna baadhi ya dalili hizo, ni muhimu kuepuka kujipa dawa za kuua viini na kumwona daktari ili apate utambuzi wa wakati unaofaa. Katika kesi ya kupokea dalili ya matibabu ya antibiotics, ni muhimu kukamilisha mpango (usifupishe au kuacha matibabu mapema), kwani matumizi yasiyofaa ya antibiotics huendeleza upinzani wa bakteria, ukweli ambao unahatarisha ufanisi wao katika siku zijazo. Watu walio wagonjwa wanapaswa kuepuka kwenda mahali pa umma (kazi, shule) na kupunguza mawasiliano ya nyumbani. Ni muhimu pia kuosha mikono yako mara kwa mara; usishiriki vitu kwa matumizi ya kibinafsi (vitu vya kulia, glasi, taulo, kati ya mengine) na upepo wa kutosha na mara kwa mara. "Hata hivyo, ""kitengo cha afya cha kitaifa kinakumbusha kwamba watu wote lazima wawe na chanjo ya kisasa ya mafua na COVID-19, haswa wale walio na sababu za hatari.""" Kwa hivyo, watu wajawazito wanapaswa kupokea chanjo ya mafua au mafua katika trimester yoyote ya ujauzito (ikiwa hawaja chanjo wakati wa ujauzito, mama lazima afanye hivyo ndani ya siku 10 baada ya kuzaa); wavulana na wasichana kutoka miezi 6 hadi 24 wanapaswa kupokea chanjo mbili zilizotenganishwa kwa angalau wiki 4 ikiwa hawajawahi kupokea chanjo mbili za mafua (wale ambao wamepata chanjo ya mafua angalau mbili wanapaswa kupokea chanjo moja tu). Watu wenye umri wa miaka 2 hadi 64 ambao wana hali fulani kama vile magonjwa ya kupumua na moyo, wagonjwa wa kisukari, watu wenye ugonjwa wa kinga ya kuzaliwa au ya kupatikana (si oncohematological), watu wenye ugonjwa wa kunyonyesha, wagonjwa wa oncohematological na wapokeaji wa kupandikizwa, watu wenye ugonjwa wa ugonjwa wa kinga ya oncohematological, watu wenye ugonjwa wa kinga ya kinga ya oncohematological, watu wenye ugonjwa wa kinga ya kinga ya kinga ya kinga ya kinga ya kinga ya kinga ya kinga ya kinga ya kinga ya kinga ya kinga ya kinga ya kinga ya kinga ya kinga ya kinga. "Kwa mujibu wa taarifa hiyo, ""Kulingana na COVID-19, watu wenye hatari kubwa ya magonjwa makali na matatizo, yaani, watu wenye umri wa miaka 50 au zaidi, wanapaswa kupokea dozi ya kwanza na dozi ya booster kila baada ya miezi sita, watu wenye kinga dhaifu na watu wajawazito.""" Kwa upande wao, watu wenye hatari ya kati, yaani chini ya umri wa miaka 50 na ugonjwa usio na kinga (ugonjwa wa muda mrefu na unene wa mwili), wanapaswa kupokea mpango wa msingi, kipimo cha booster baada ya miezi sita na kisha kipimo cha kila mwaka. Kwa wale walio na hatari ya chini, mpango kamili wa msingi na booster ya kila mwaka, yaani, watu chini ya miaka 50 bila ugonjwa wa kawaida. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika ripoti ya ""Kentucky: Ongezeko la Virusi vya Legionnaires"" na ""Kentucky: Ongezeko la Virusi vya Legionnaires"" na ""Kentucky: Ongezeko la Virusi vya Legionnaires"" na ""Kentucky: Ongezeko la Virusi vya Legionnaires"" na ""Kentucky: Ongezeko la Virusi vya Legionnaires"" na ""Kentucky: Ongezeko la Virusi vya Legionnaires"" na ""Kentucky: Ongezeko la Virusi vya Legionnaires"" na ""Kentucky: Ongezeko la Virusi vya Legionnaires."""