Strep throat has been going around the South Plains for the last several months, but many parents are concerned after a six year old girl in Ohio came down with strep.
Tessa Puma was treated in March for her strep, then last week she got the flu. Friday night, her leg began to swell up. Her parents took her to the hospital where doctors found an infection that forced them to amputate her leg.
Lubbock Pediatrician, Dr. Nawal Zeitouni said it’s important to clear your system of strep if you suspect you have it.
“She got it from somewhere, because she had the underlying strep her immune system was compromised and then she was in a setting where she could have picked it up very easily and she wasn’t able to fight,” said Zeitouni. “And that is a particular infection where it spreads very quickly and so a lot of times you figure out what you’re dealing with, its almost too late.”
A rare incident but a reminder for parents to always have their children checked, and even checked again if unusual symptoms occur.
“You really should get checked if there is any form of strep because strep is a particularly dangerous infection in that it seems it should be routine, and a kids get it and they heal up well but it has some rare complications,” Zeitouni said.
