Laurentians Health and Social Services (CISSS des Laurentides) spokeswoman Myriam Sabourin confirmed that two children were infected with the Kingella kingae bacteria and that a young boy died in July after contracting the bacteria. Public health believes the young boy may have had a heart complication that led to his death. The second boy, who was also one and a half years old, was treated with antibiotics in hospital and recovered. Both children attended the same nursery school. The spokesman said public health authorities had written to parents of children attending the nursery and staff members to receive preventive antibiotics. There is no fear of a larger outbreak at this time. Laurentians director of public health Dr. Eric Goyer said there are typically one to three Kingella infections each year in the region, but this is the first time two cases have been linked. “We will use antibiotics in the group where the two children were to reduce the individual risk and reduce the risk of transmission,” he said. “This is a bacteria that responds very well to antibiotics.” “Kingella kingae is the leading pathogen associated with osteoarthritis in young children in many countries,” reports an article from the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Pediatrician Dr. Earl Rubin said it’s more common to see bone or joint infections caused by the pathogen. “It can just be in the bloodstream and cause fever without a clear focus, and rarely it can affect a heart valve,” he said. “Death associated with Kingella infection is very rare.” – With a report by Touria Izri of Montreal’s CTV News.
