1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: We understand that there's been a rise in strap A 2 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:05,880 Speaker 1: cases across the top end, with more than one hundred 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:09,239 Speaker 1: cases reported in the last year. Now Royal Dale and 4 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: Hospitals Professor and Well Infectious Diseases Physician Professor Bart Curry 5 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: is warning that the way the way cases for this 6 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:21,120 Speaker 1: year are currently tracking, we could be in for an 7 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: above average number again. 8 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 2: Now he joins me on the line. Good morning to you, 9 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 2: Professor Curry. Good morning, great to have you on the show. Bart. 10 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:32,199 Speaker 2: Now tell me, can you remind us what is strepe a? 11 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:38,519 Speaker 3: So strape is a bacterium, and it's the bacteria that 12 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 3: causes strap throat, which people will be aware of, which 13 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:47,160 Speaker 3: is a really nasty tonsilitis. So it's a bacteria, which 14 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 3: means that antibiotics will treat it. Most sore throats are 15 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 3: from viruses, but when you have a bacterial infection, particularly 16 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 3: with strape, then people can be particularly sick. But in 17 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 3: the territory, strap also is the commonest cause of school saws, 18 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 3: which kids get quite commonly and particularly at in remote communities. 19 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 3: So what we call skin saws or school saws are 20 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,759 Speaker 3: those saws on the skin. They are often due to strepe. 21 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:16,839 Speaker 2: And but do you have both at the same time 22 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 2: or what happens? 23 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, look, that's a really good question, and people are 24 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 3: trying to figure out which comes first, Is it in 25 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 3: the throat or the skin, But usually it's one or 26 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 3: the other mostly, And the thing is that the complications 27 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 3: of strepe that are the great concern. So you won't 28 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 3: actually get seriously or from the skin saw itself, but 29 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 3: if it gets into the blood stream and causes blood poisoning, 30 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 3: then that's what's called invasive strepe infection. And they're the 31 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 3: things that are particularly concern to us and which have 32 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 3: been on the rise, not just in the Northern Territory 33 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 3: but around all of Australia. 34 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. Right, so what are we saying more of at 35 00:01:58,040 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 2: the moment? 36 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,639 Speaker 1: But is it more of the school saw kind of 37 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: of strep a or is it the really sore throat. 38 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:13,239 Speaker 3: Look for us, it's more the school saws. But when 39 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 3: we look at the consequences of bloodstream infection, some of 40 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 3: them will still be from strap that's been in the throat, 41 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 3: but in the context of the Northern Territory, the driver 42 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 3: has mostly been strap in the skin. So it's when 43 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 3: you get this blood poisoning that's when it can cause 44 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:33,799 Speaker 3: what's called sepsis, and so that's kids and adults could 45 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 3: be critically Also, last year in the in the whole 46 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 3: of the territory, we had one hundred and seven cases 47 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 3: of this invasive strap a and there were unforty six 48 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 3: deaths from invasive strap a last year in the territory. 49 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:49,360 Speaker 3: That's in twenty twenty two. All of those six deaths 50 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 3: were in people over the age of fifty, but we 51 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 3: also had some pretty serious infections in young kids as well. 52 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 2: And how are we tracking for this year so far? 53 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:03,119 Speaker 3: Well, so far we've had fifteen cases of invasive strape 54 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:06,799 Speaker 3: and there's not been any death so far this year. 55 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 3: One of the things is that our health staff are 56 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 3: pretty attuned to this, both out remotely in communities but 57 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 3: also in our hospitals and in our GP clinic. So nurses, doctors, 58 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 3: health workers are aware of the concerns about strape. So 59 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 3: if it's severe strape, then it is very important to 60 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 3: get to get antibotics quickly. 61 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,079 Speaker 1: But what are the symptoms, like, what do people need 62 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: to be aware of if they're you know, like you 63 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: might be someone might be listening this morning thinking, oh, 64 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 1: I've got a really sick child with an incredibly sore throat, 65 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: but they don't have the school saw, you know, they 66 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: don't have the sows. Like what should people be keeping 67 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: an eye out for. 68 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, So when it gets into the bloodstream, which is 69 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 3: what we're worried about, from either throat or skin, people 70 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 3: then become unwell and they have high temperatures, They may 71 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 3: be sweating a lot, They feel but particularly fatigued, and 72 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 3: they may start to get some like clouding of conscious state, 73 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 3: so particularly when they're sort of like in bed and 74 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 3: have differty getting out of bed. But then also the 75 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 3: strip in the blood can spread to other parts of 76 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:21,599 Speaker 3: the body, so they may start to get a headache 77 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 3: and a stiff neck if it was to be spreading there, 78 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:26,799 Speaker 3: or they may start to get signs of a pneumonia 79 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 3: where they start to have a cough as well. So 80 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 3: the initial bloodstream infection is mainly about high fevers and 81 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 3: being particularly unwell and with generalized aches and lethargy. So 82 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:43,719 Speaker 3: the other thing is it can also spread to joints 83 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 3: and to bones, so that can also be an issue. 84 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, so what can we do, how can it 85 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: be treated or what do we do if we think 86 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: we might have it. 87 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, so it's very important if someone's heading in the 88 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 3: wrong direction with their illness and starts out with a 89 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 3: skin sore throat, but then they're looking particularly unwell and 90 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 3: it's important they get they get to their GP or 91 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 3: to wherever their primary care clinic might be, or even 92 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 3: to the emergency apartment if they're particularly unwell, or if 93 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 3: they're if they're completely unwell in bed, then obviously dial 94 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,160 Speaker 3: triple nine and call an ambulance, but that would only 95 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 3: be in the if someone is looking like they're absolutely 96 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 3: and extremists. So the doctor's nurse's health staff will usually 97 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 3: take cultures of the sites which are infected, which would 98 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,239 Speaker 3: be a swab from the throat or from the skin, 99 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 3: and then also cultures of the blood which is a 100 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 3: blood test, and usually start antibiotics if they think the 101 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 3: person has what we're calling invasive strap a disease or 102 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 3: stepsis from another cause. 103 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 2: Anything else we should be aware of with this one. 104 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 3: Doctor Curry, No, I think that the main thing is 105 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 3: is that people by getting help early and then we 106 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 3: can decrease the severe outcomes that we see from this. 107 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 3: So early antibotics is what's important when you have infections 108 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 3: getting into the bloodstream like this, so that's and the 109 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 3: antibotics that are used generally are very good for this 110 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,719 Speaker 3: for these bacteria they do respond rapidly to the right 111 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:15,280 Speaker 3: antibotics well. 112 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: Infectious diseases physician at Royal Darwin Hospital, doctor bart Curry. 113 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 1: We always appreciate your time. Thank you very much for 114 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: having a chat with us this morning. 115 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 3: No, thank you very much. Thanks again. 116 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:26,360 Speaker 2: Thank you.