A 3-year-old boy died at home in Toronto just days after being sent home from daycare for running a high fever.

The boy attended Woodfield Daycare, near Queen St. E. and Greenwood Ave., but Toronto Public Health says there is no immediate threat to other children at the daycare.

The boy died on Jan. 17 after a contracting a severe infection from a common bacteria.

“There’s a very, very small chance of another case,” said Dr. Rita Shahin, a public health physician with the city.

Shahin says that’s because the infection that caused the boy’s death was invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) disease, from the same bacteria that causes strep throat.

“Most people (who contract the bacteria) don’t get sick, but if people do get sick they have mild illness like strep throat or a skin infection,” Shahin said.

It’s rare for the bacteria to have more severe impact by invading “sterile” areas of the body which can cause things like meningitis, toxic shock syndrome or flesh-eating disease, she said.

Young children, the elderly and those who have compromised immune systems are more at risk for the infection to become invasive. Toronto had 156 invasive forms of the infection last year, with 23 people — 15 per cent — dying from it. The average age of those who died from the infection was 65, according to Shahin.

She added that the invasive GAS infection can sometimes develop after a bout of chickenpox, so vaccinating children against chickenpox can also help protect against an invasive infection.

But she says that the bacteria itself is so common, “it’s very hard to pinpoint to where someone acquired it from.”

The boy was running a high fever when Woodfield staff called his parents, who sought medical attention and took him home, said Elaine Levy at WoodGreen Community Services, the agency that runs Woodfield.

His obituary described him as adventurous and, like many little boys, a huge superhero fan.

The Star is not identifying the boy at the request of the family.

Woodfield Daycare is still operating. Levy said she isn’t aware of any other child that has fallen ill in the preschool program, which has 24 in the group.

“We will continue to follow what are already fairly rigorous practices,” she said, adding that staff will be extra vigilant for symptoms related to the infection.

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Toronto Public Health sent home a letter to parents and staff advising them to watch for these symptoms, which can include a fever and sore throat. Symptoms caused by an invasive infection can include nausea, vomiting, and swelling.

Antibiotics are used to treat mild infections caused by the bacteria and can also be used to treat many of the invasive forms it can take.