Children aged 5-15 are at higher risk of contracting strep throat than other age groups, but kids under the age of 3 almost never get it. Symptoms include sore throat without a runny nose or cough, redness in the back of the throat, swollen tonsils, white patches or pus on tonsils and/or small red spots on the roof of mouth (petechiae).
Group A Streptococcus can cause various infections ranging from mild illnesses to more severe diseases, including strep throat.
On March 19, 2024, a young Arizona girl named Victoria Pasten-Morales was diagnosed with Group A Streptococcus. The bacterial infection has affected her lungs and kidneys and she is currently on a ventilator.
Strep throat is often treated with antibiotics to prevent complications like rheumatic fever and make kids contagious after 12 hours.
On March 19, 2024, a young Arizona girl named Victoria Pasten-Morales was diagnosed with Group A Streptococcus. The bacterial infection has affected her lungs and kidneys and she is currently on a ventilator. Despite this setback, the little girl remains strong and continues to fight for her life.
Group A Streptococcus is a type of bacteria that can cause various infections ranging from mild illnesses to more severe diseases. Children aged 5-15 are at higher risk of contracting strep throat than other age groups, but kids under the age of 3 almost never get it.
Symptoms include sore throat without a runny nose or cough, redness in the back of the throat, swollen tonsils, white patches or pus on tonsils and/or small red spots on the roof of mouth (petechiae). Strep throat is often treated with antibiotics to prevent complications like rheumatic fever and make kids contagious after 12 hours.
The family has set up a GoFundMe page so both parents can be by Victoria's side as she continues her battle against the bacteria taking over her body. They are grateful for any support they receive during this difficult time.
7-year-old Arizona girl undergoes several amputations after mysteriously contracting a deadly bacterial infection.
Victoria’s kidneys have also been affected and while she is awake, she needs a ventilator.
Bacteria called Group A Streptococcus can lead to different infections, including mild illnesses to more severe diseases.
Accuracy
“Everything happened very fast. It occurred very fast. We don't know where it came from, but it all happened in less than 12 hours.” mother Obdulia Morales told Fox 10 in Phoenix.
Victoria's kidneys have also been affected and while she is awake, she needs a ventilator.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title implies that the girl has undergone amputations due to a rare bacterial disease when it's not entirely clear if this was the case or if there were other factors involved. Secondly, while it mentions Group A Streptococcus as a possible cause of her illnesses, no evidence is provided to support this claim. Thirdly, the article quotes Victoria Pasten-Morales and Obdulia Morales without disclosing their relationship with the author or providing any context about who they are. Lastly, while it mentions that more than $23,000 has been raised for the family through a GoFundMe campaign, no information is provided on how this money will be used or if there are any potential conflicts of interest involved.
The article quotes Victoria Pasten-Morales and Obdulia Morales without disclosing their relationship with the author or providing any context about who they are.
The title implies that Victoria Pasten-Morales underwent amputations due to a rare bacterial disease when it's not entirely clear if this was the case or if there were other factors involved.
While it mentions Group A Streptococcus as a possible cause of her illnesses, no evidence is provided to support this claim.
While it mentions that more than $23,000 has been raised for the family through a GoFundMe campaign, no information is provided on how this money will be used or if there are any potential conflicts of interest involved.
Fallacies
(85%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(85%)
The article contains several examples of religious bias. The author uses the phrase 'warrior' to describe the girl which is a term often used in Christian contexts and implies that she has overcome something difficult or challenging. Additionally, the use of phrases such as 'not even doctors can tell us how she got this bacteria' suggests an element of mystery and divine intervention.
The young girl has been a ‘warrior’ through the scary ordeal.
Victoria Pasten-Morales is fighting for her life after being diagnosed with Group A Streptococcus.
The exact cause of the bacterial infection is unknown but it has affected her lungs and kidneys. She is currently on a ventilator.
“Unfortunately, they had to amputate both feet and her right hand. Her left hand is still recovering.” Pasten told the station on Sunday.
Accuracy
Victoria Pasten-Morales underwent several amputations after being diagnosed with Group A Streptococcus.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Victoria Pasten-Morales has had eight surgeries but does not specify which ones were amputations and which were not. This creates a false impression of the severity of her condition. Secondly, the author quotes Obdulia Morales saying that they don't know where the infection came from, but this is contradicted by other statements in the article such as 'The bacteria has affected her lungs and kidneys'. Thirdly, there are no sources disclosed or quoted in the article which makes it difficult to verify any of the information presented. Lastly, there is a lack of context for why Victoria was admitted to Phoenix Children's Hospital with Group A Streptococcus diagnosis.
The author claims that Victoria Pasten-Morales has had eight surgeries but does not specify which ones were amputations and which were not. This creates a false impression of the severity of her condition.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority when they quote the parents of Victoria Pasten-Morales as saying that their daughter is a warrior and will fight through her illness. This statement implies that the parents have medical knowledge or expertise in treating Group A Streptococcus, which is not stated anywhere in the article. Additionally, there are several instances where dichotomous depictions of Victoria's condition are used to elicit sympathy from readers. For example, when it is said that
The author uses an appeal to authority by quoting the parents as saying their daughter is a warrior and will fight through her illness.
<br>Victoria Pasten-Morales. Photo courtesy of Victor Pasten
<br>Diseases come unexpectedly. From morning to night, everything can change in just one second.
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author of the article has a conflict of interest with Group A Streptococcus as they are reporting on their own daughter's experience with this condition. The author also has a personal relationship with Victoria Pasten-Morales and Victor Pasten, who were involved in the story.
In the article, the author mentions that their daughter was diagnosed with Group A Streptococcus and underwent several amputations as a result. This creates a conflict of interest as they are reporting on their own experience.
The author mentions that their daughter was diagnosed with Group A Streptococcus, which creates a conflict of interest as they are reporting on their own experience. The author also states that they have known Victoria Pasten-Morales and Victor Pasten for years, creating a personal relationship.
Strep throat is an infection caused by bacteria called group A Streptococcus and is very contagious
Children aged 5 to 15 are the most at risk for strep throat, while kids under 3 almost never get it
Symptoms of strep throat include sore throat without runny nose or cough, redness in the back of the throat, swollen tonsils, white patches or pus on tonsils, small red spots on the roof of the mouth (petechiae) and/or swelling of lymph nodes in the front of the neck
Strep throat is often treated with antibiotics to prevent complications like rheumatic fever and to make kids contagious after 12 hours
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is misleading in several ways. Firstly, it states that strep throat is caused by a virus when the majority of cases are actually caused by bacteria. Secondly, it suggests that children under three years old almost never get strep throat but there have been documented cases of strep infection in infants and young children. Thirdly, while the article mentions potential complications from untreated strep throat such as rheumatic fever, it fails to mention other more common complications like tonsillitis or pneumonia which can occur without treatment.
In the third paragraph, it is stated that untreated strep can lead to rheumatic fever but fails to mention other more common complications like tonsillitis or pneumonia.
The first sentence of the article states that sore throats are caused by a virus when in fact they are usually caused by bacteria.
The second paragraph mentions children under three almost never getting strep throat but there have been documented cases of strep infection in infants and young children.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) without providing any evidence or context for their claims. Additionally, the author commits a false dilemma by presenting only two options: strep throat or no strep throat, when in fact there may be other illnesses that could cause similar symptoms. The article also contains an example of inflammatory rhetoric with the phrase 'most common illness called strep throat'.
The author cites the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) without providing any evidence or context for their claims.
The author presents only two options: strep throat or no strep throat, when in fact there may be other illnesses that could cause similar symptoms.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that implies the author has an ideological bias towards vaccination. The sentence 'Most of the time, sore throats (like the kind you get when you have a cold) are caused by a virus.' is misleading as it suggests that strep throat is not contagious and can only be spread through respiratory droplets. However, strep throat is highly contagious and can easily be spread by contact with an infected person or saliva from coughing and sneezing.
Most of the time, sore throats (like the kind you get when you have a cold) are caused by a virus.
