Online claims about flesh-eating disease in Yarmouth inaccurate, says N.S. Health

A social media post about flesh-eating disease cases at Yarmouth Regional Hospital contained inaccuracies and has caused "unnecessary public concern," a spokesperson for Nova Scotia Health said Monday.

Brendan Elliott said the health authority has become aware of a post on the Facebook page Rant & Rave Yarmouth. The anonymous post, supposedly drafted by a nurse and shared by thousands of users since Saturday, claimed there were five active cases of flesh-eating disease at the hospital. 

Flesh-eating disease can be caused by various bacteria, including an invasive group A streptococcal infection, according to Nova Scotia Health. 

Elliott said in an email that there has been an investigation into one case of invasive group A strep involving flesh-eating disease in the western health zone. 

Aggressive strep cases in N.S.

In January, Nova Scotia Health reported cases of the aggressive form of strep were on the rise — part of a trend across Canada. There were 39 cases in January and February of this year, and 10 deaths.

By comparison, there were 16 cases in the first two months of 2023, and six deaths throughout the year.

Elliott said Public Health has been able to work directly with all contacts of recent invasive group A strep cases. 

"Public Health strives to identify all household contacts and those sharing the same sleeping arrangements during the seven days before the start of the person's illness," Elliott said. 

He said there is no outbreak of the illness or flesh-eating disease anywhere in the province.

"In some situations, Public Health may need to issue a public notification when there have been significant exposures to cases of notifiable diseases and Public Health is unable to directly contact all those involved," Elliott said.

"These notifications quickly inform and educate others who may have been potentially affected by a communicable disease, ensuring their safety and well-being."