Public health officials in three provinces have issued warnings this year about a rare bacterial infection that can lead to meningitis and death. Ontario and Manitoba are seeing a recent rise in cases, with the latest alert coming from Toronto. "By the time they come to hospital, they can already be very sick because the onset of symptoms can be so rapid," Dr.
James Kellner, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist, told CTV News. "You can go from being well to being really critically ill in less than a day." The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App While Toronto Public Health has only logged 13 cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) so far in 2024, that's higher than the total number of recorded infections in any year since 2002.
Two of the recent Toronto cases were fatal, claiming the lives of an adult and child. "Compared to normal, that's a big jump," Kellner said from Calgary. Up to 10 per cent of cases are deadly, according to Health Canada , while 10 to 20 per cent of survivors experience life-altering consequences such as hearing loss, neurological disabilities and amputated digits or limbs.
Earlier this year, public health officials also warned about case numbers in Manitoba , Kingston, Ont. , and Quebec's Eastern Townships. "Ontario and Manitoba are reporting increased IMD activity recently, preliminary data from the National Microbiology Laboratory suggest overall the number of cases of IMD nationally has not .
