Health
Invasive strep throat strain has more than doubled in US, reports CDC
Cases of an invasive strain of strep throat have been steadily rising in some areas of the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The surveillance study, which was published in JAMA, showed that the incidence of group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection “substantially increased” from 2013 to 2022.
Affected states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Tennessee.
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The overall incidence more than doubled, going from 3.6 to 8.2 cases per 100,000 persons at that time, according to the findings.
For the past near-decade, cases of group A Streptococcus (GAS) have been on the rise in 10 U.S. states. (iStock)
Infection rates were higher among residents of long-term care facilities, the homeless population and injection drug users.
While incidence was highest among people 65 and older, the relative increase over time was biggest among adults aged 18 to 64.
“Accelerated efforts to prevent and control GAS are needed, especially among groups at highest risk of infection,” the CDC researchers concluded in the study.
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According to a CIDRAP press release by the University of Minnesota, GAS is most known for causing non-invasive diseases like strep throat and impetigo.
The strain can also cause more severe infections, like sepsis, necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.
GAS can lead to more severe infections, like sepsis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. (iStock)
The researchers identified 21,213 cases of invasive GAS, leading to 20,247 hospitalizations and 1,981 deaths.
Bacteremic cellulitis was the most common disease caused by GAS, according to the press release, followed by septic shock, pneumonia and bacteria in the bloodstream without an apparent cause (known as bacteremia without focus).
“The recent assault of viruses, including COVID-19, has weakened people’s immune systems.”
In an accompanying JAMA editorial, Joshua Osowicki, MBBS, PhD, a pediatric infectious diseases physician at Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, said there has been a global uptick in GAS cases following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In any of its forms — from skin and soft tissue infections, pneumonia, bone and joint infections, or sepsis without a clear clinical focus — invasive GAS can be insidious and unpredictable, testing the lifesaving capacity of even the world’s most advanced medical facilities,” he wrote.
“We really need a vaccine against this, but don’t have it,” Dr. Marc Siegel shared. (iStock)
“Surges of invasive and noninvasive GAS disease in 2022 and 2023 have been reported in countries spanning the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, with new reports of the same phenomenon still coming to light.”
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel commented that GAS requires early intervention, as it can be “quite life-threatening” and “misperceived” as something milder.
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“We really need a vaccine against this, but don’t have it,” he told Fox News Digital.
“[It’s] increasing dramatically among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, including the homeless, substance abusers, those with increased skin breakdown and those sharing needles.”
The infection is also associated with IV fentanyl use as part of the opioid epidemic, Siegel added.
After a dip in cases during the coronavirus pandemic, the rate of infections was 30% higher than the previous peak seen in February 2017. (iStock)
In 2023, strep throat infections caused by GAS skyrocketed, mostly in children, according to a report from Epic Research.
After a dip in cases during the coronavirus pandemic, the rate of infections was 30% higher than the previous peak seen in February 2017, the report found.
Dr. Shana Johnson, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician in Scottsdale, Arizona, previously shared with Fox News Digital that rates of GAS, including the more dangerous invasive type, were “at the highest levels seen in years.”
In an interview with Fox News Digital at the time, Siegel reported that the spike in cases is likely a result of other circulating viruses.
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“The recent assault of viruses, including COVID-19, has weakened people’s immune systems,” he said. “Also, we haven’t been on the lookout for them and have missed cases.”
Group A strep is best treated with antibiotics unless a more severe illness is contracted, according to Johnson.
“Antibiotics for strep throat reduce how long you are sick and prevent the infection from getting more severe and spreading to other parts of the body,” she said.
Group A strep cases in 2023 were most identified in kids aged 4 to 13. (iStock)
Group A strep bacteria commonly spread through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, according to the CDC, but can spread through infected sores on the skin.
To help reduce the spread, doctors say to wash hands often with soap and water, avoid sharing glasses or utensils with those who are infected, and cover the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
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“If you have strep throat, stay home until you no longer have a fever and have taken antibiotics for at least 24 hours,” Johnson advised.
Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC for comment.
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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