The infections appear to spread mainly from the Turnhout region to Antwerp and Sint-Niklaas. They are worried in the UZA. “Normally we see those heavy strep infections a couple of times a year, now there are 25 in a month,” says intensive care head Philippe Jorens.
It mainly affects healthy children and young people who have contracted the flu and on top of that have been infected with a bacterium: streptococcus. Strep infections usually cause only mild illnesses, such as scarlet fever, and can be treated well with antibiotics, but in rare cases – especially when there are infections in the respiratory tract or bloodstream – this can lead to serious complications.
