A Henrico pre-schooler has died from a strep infection.
Kingston Shunming Ponce died Saturday morning, several days after he first started feeling ill, said Jennifer Evans, an aunt.
Dr. William Nelson, acting director of the Henrico Health District, sent a letter to parents Tuesday advising them that a child who attended Kids in Discovery Preschool in the West End of Henrico County recently passed away.
In the letter, Nelson advises parents to be alert to symptoms such as fever, throat pain, red or swollen tonsils that could indicate severe infection.
Kids in Discovery Preschool is located in Discovery United Methodist Church at 13000 Gayton Road.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Group A Streptococcus bacteria are often found in the throat and on the skin and people may carry the bacterium in the throat or on the skin and have no symptoms of illness.
Most strep infections are relatively mild illnesses such as strep throat, or impetigo, a skin disease, but occasionally these bacteria can cause severe and even life-threatening diseases, the CDC says.
Strep bacteria are spread through direct contact with mucus from the nose or throat of infected persons or with contact with infected wounds or sores on the skin. An estimated 9,000-11,500 cases of invasive group A strep disease occur each year in the United States, with approximately 1,000-1,800 deaths annually.
Treatment for invasive strep infection is with antibiotics.
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