The dramatic story of a San Juan mother and her two children attacked by a new superbug

Fever and sore throat were the first symptoms his 10-year-old daughter began to experience. Until then, he tried to relieve the common condition with ibuprofen. But 24 hours later, the little girl still had a fever and severe vomiting. She ran to the concierge of a private clinic to seek certified answers. The doctor on duty answered that it was “angina pectoris,” but did not expect that the girl was actually attacked by Streptococcus pyogenes, a “superbug” that can cause pharyngitis and more serious illnesses.

Victoria spent nearly a week giving her daughter two different antibiotics. I’ve been to the emergency room twice and the diagnosis is still the same.This was despite the girl continuing to have fever, fatigue, sore throat and vomiting. “I saw that she was very depressed. She had been vomiting all day and had a headache. She was lying down and couldn’t stand up and wasn’t eating anything or drinking water,” the mother said.

It was her family doctor who ordered the minor’s swab test. That’s when she discovered her daughter was one of 500 people in Argentina affected by the invasive bacteria: “I didn’t know what was going on. The doctors told me to go on antibiotics but as it persisted they decided to hospitalize her. In one film, they discovered he had a lung infection. She was hospitalized and treated with penicillin to compensate for symptoms of dehydration. “They did testing and enough research to rule out pneumonia.”

While in the hospital, Victoria said her daughter’s body began to suffer from a skin reaction.“It’s typically the same bacteria and the tongue is red. Then they started giving him Benadryl. The doctor told me not to relax, but as long as I kept it under control, nothing serious would happen,” she commented.

The girl received treatment for 20 days. However, while he was discharged from the hospital and recovering at home, his 6-year-old brother ended up becoming infected.. In this case, the little boy began to experience other symptoms: his lymph nodes became infected: “This touched his sternoclavic muscle and caused a contracture. He couldn’t move, he was stiff; he also had a fever and vomiting. Then he Continue taking the penicillin that I originally prescribed for his sister.

“You don’t have to worry, but you have to take care of yourself. This bacteria is not to be taken lightly.”

Victoria noted that at first, like all mothers, she was scared.“This is an unknown bacteria and it scares me. What’s more, with so much misinformation when they tell you there could be consequences, you imagine the worst-case scenario. But we will be careful Cautiously, try to move on little by little. Now only the little one continues to receive treatment and we are in the process of recovery,” he explained.

More information about Streptococcus pyogenes

he Group A Streptococcus It can cause different skin infections such as impetigo, cellulitis, and scarlet fever. But on certain occasions, May present with severe forms or invasive disease, which can lead to life-threatening conditions.This can be seen from the figure More than 500,000 people die worldwide each year.

spread of bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes

It occurs through close contact with an infected person and can be spread through coughing, sneezing, or contact with wounds. People may be asymptomatic carriers.

The incubation period of the disease varies from 1 to 3 days depending on the clinical manifestations. Infected people must remain in isolation until the infectious period is over.

As a precautionary measure for patients and close contacts, it is recommended to maintain good personal hygiene and frequent hand hygiene, cover wounds with sterile waterproof dressings, and maintain good environmental hygiene, including cleaning toys, bathrooms, and carpets.