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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
As of late last week, there were about seven cases of scarlet fever in Yellowknife.

Those cases prompted the Department of Health and Social Services to send a notice to healthcare

providers in the NWT.

"It's more than we usually see and that's why I sent the notice out," said Wanda White, manager of the NWT health protection unit.

Healthcare providers were advised to watch for strep throat, which is caused by the same bacteria - group A streptococcus - and can sometimes develop into scarlet fever if not treated with antibiotics.

"Therefore we were concerned that people were delaying a little with going in to get treatment for their sore throats," White said.

She noted there are close to 200 cases of strep throat around the NWT, describing that number as fairly typical for this time of year.

White is not calling the situation an outbreak and not calling the notice an alert.

"People just need to be cautious," she said.

The signs of strep throat include sore throat, difficulty swallowing, fever, headache, swollen glands and, especially for children, a pale look and vomiting.

Scarlet fever, which primarily occurs in children, is indicated by a sunburn-like rash that feels almost like sandpaper.

If left untreated, it can cause toxic shock syndrome.

"It's very easily treatable, so we rarely see the complications from it," White said.

She added scarlet fever periodically appears in the NWT, but not every year.

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