&8220;It&8217;s just terrible news this young girl passed away,&8221; Yocum said. &8220;There&8217;s nothing worse than that.&8221;
However, GAS can sometimes target areas of the body where bacteriapataskala girl dies of strep are not normally found such as the blood or lungs, the statement read, which can cause an individual to become significantly ill.
For more information regarding GAS bacteria, visit call the Health Department at 740-349-6535.
When Yocum heard rumors that a student at the school had come down with a serious illness, he called both the school and then Children&8217;s Hospital, where he learned the student had been admitted.
The school, Yocum added, already places an emphasis on hand washing, and it will continue doing so in the wake of the incident.
PATASKALA &8212; The Licking County Health Department on Friday confirmed it is investigating the death of a Pataskala Elementary School student tied to a bacterial infection.
Pataskala Elementary student dies from strep infection, health department says pataskala girl dies of strep,&8220;Our department is investigating the death of a Southwest Licking School District student that has been attributed toGroup A Streptococcal bacterial infection,&8221; said Joe Ebel, county health commissioner. &8220;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.
In addition, according to the press release, all wounds should be kept clean and watched for signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, drainage and pain at the wound site. Anyone with signs of an infected wound, combined with fever, should seek immediate medical care.
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, Ebel said in the release.
Yocum said Southwest Licking intends to inform Pataskala Elementary parents about the situation, via a letter to be delivered by the students on Friday. The letter, he said, will contain the health department&8217;s recommendations regarding GAS.
Individuals with sore throats should be seen by a doctor who can perform tests to ascertain if the illness is strep throat. If a test reveals strep throat, individuals should stay away from work, school or day care until 24 hours after taking an antibiotic.
The county health department, in a press release from Friday, said Group A Streptococcal, or GAS, bacteria, are commonly found on the throat and on the skin. Many people carry the bacteria, but do not show any symptoms or signs of illness. In some cases, the bacteria can target areas of the body where bacteria normally do not reside, such as the blood or lungs. This can lead to illness.
&8220;On behalf of our department,&8221; Ebel said, &8220;I would like to offer my condolences to the mily affected by this tragedy.&8221;
In the wake of the incident, the district called in all of its counselors on Friday and made them available to students.
The girl, whose name has not yet been released, died Thursday at an area hospital, Southwest Licking Superintendent Forest Yocum said.
The health department said that GAS infections can be reduced by proper hand washing, especially after coughing and sneezing and before preparing foodPataskala Elementary student dies from strep infection, health department says pataskala girl dies of streps or eating.
The hospital, at the time, was unsure if the girl had meningitis, Yocum said, so he ordered her classroom sanitized and stayed in close contact with the county health department and hospital for word on what other actions the school should take.
As for people exposed to a GAS infection, the press release stated it is not necessary for them to receive antibiotic therapy.
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The third-grade student may have attended school Monday, Yocum said, but she was absent the rest of the week.
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&8220;We were very concerned because we didn&8217;t know why she had died,&8221; Yocum said.
There are 9,000-11,500 cases of GAS reported each year in the United States, according to the health department, and of those cases, 1,000-1,800 result in death.
