Anyone can get strep throat, a common bacterial infection caused by a germ known as group A Streptococcus. However, it's more likely to occur in children than in adults. In fact, strep throat is most likely to develop in children ages 5-15. It only rarely occurs in children under age 3.
Strep throat can occur at any age, even during infancy. However, strep throat is most common in school-age children. Children who develop strep throat may have signs and symptoms including: Irritability.
There are two strains of strep bacteria. Group A Strep (GAS) is the strain that causes strep throat. Group B Strep (GBS) is the strain that lives in the body and rarely causes illness. However, in some cases, GBS can be passed from mother to child during birth and cause complications.
Strep throat usually needs treatment with antibiotics. With the proper medical care — and plenty of rest and fluids — most kids get back to school and play within a few days.
Strep throat is most common in school-age children, but anyone can get it. Strep throat can be spread to others. It is contagious. Strep germs hang out in the nose and throat.
The good news about strep throat is that it's incredibly rare in infants and toddlers and is typically mild when it does occur in children under the age of 3. Even for older children, a course of antibiotics are usually enough to treat it.
Risk factors
Group A strep pharyngitis can occur in people of all ages. It is most common among children 5 through 15 years of age. It is rare in children younger than 3 years of age.
Strep A infections are more common in children, but adults can also sometimes get them. Most strep A infections are not serious and can be treated with antibiotics. But rarely, the infection can cause serious problems.
Your child can spread strep throat to others until 24 hours after he or she starts taking antibiotics. Keep your child out of school or daycare until 1 full day after he or she starts taking antibiotics. Follow-up care is a key part of your child's treatment and safety.
Caused by the group A streptococcus bacteria, strep throat is an infection that requires prompt treatment, particularly in children over the age of 3. Left untreated, strep throat can lead to kidney inflammation or rheumatic fever, a serious illness that can cause stroke and permanent damage to the heart.
Anyone can get strep, including babies and toddlers. But it's extremely uncommon in very young kids and is much more likely to affect those ages 5 to 15. In the rare cases when babies and toddlers do get strep throat, their symptoms don't always match up with what older kids and adults experience.
Left untreated, strep throat in children may lead to scarlet fever, kidney disease or rheumatic fever. Your child's doctor can prescribe a treatment plan once a proper strep diagnosis has been made. This will often include a multiday course of antibiotics which should be taken for the prescribed duration.
Symptoms of Strep Throat Infection
A young child who does not want favorite foods may have a sore throat. They may also start to cry during feedings. Other symptoms include sore throat, fever, headache, stomach pain, nausea and vomiting. Cough, hoarseness, red eyes, and runny nose are not seen with Strep throat.
A common misconception is that if a child has tested positive for strep, household members should also be tested. Medically, only patients who have symptoms should be tested unless other circumstances arise. Testing and treatment is not recommended for family members or close contacts unless they are ill.
Cough is generally not a symptom of strep throat. Cough, hoarseness, runny nose, reddened eyes and other symptoms may point to a viral respiratory infection.
Someone with strep throat should start feeling better in just a day or two after starting antibiotics. Call the doctor if you or your child are not feeling better after taking antibiotics for 48 hours. People with strep throat should stay home from work, school, or daycare until they: No longer have a fever.
Strep throat is a painful infection in the throat caused by streptococcal bacteria. This type of bacteria is extremely contagious and can be spread by coughing, sneezing, or sharing food and drinks.
That's good news because sometimes strep throat can get worse and cause problems with other parts of a kid's body. For example, untreated strep can cause kidney problems or heart problems from a disease called rheumatic (say: roo-MA-tick) fever.
If your child is diagnosed with strep throat, he will be prescribed antibiotics, such as penicillin or amoxicillin. An antibiotic will help reduce the duration of symptoms caused by strep throat, as well as decreasing the risk of rare but serious complications of the bacterial infection, such as acute rheumatic fever.
Hundreds of cases of the potentially deadly illness Strep A have been identified across Australia, prompting authorities to issue warnings for the disease. More than 500 official cases of invasive streptococcal disease have been identified so far this year, compared to about 1200 cases for all of 2022.
Kids with untreated strep throat are more likely to spread the infection when their symptoms are most severe, but can still infect others for up to 3 weeks. That's why it's so important to teach kids to wash their hands well and often. This can lower their chances of getting contagious diseases like strep throat.
How is strep throat diagnosed? Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and examine your throat. They may rub a cotton swab against a tonsil in the back of your throat to get a sample of bacteria. The sample will be tested in a lab to see if the cause of the sore throat is bacteria or a viral infection.
The underlying difference between strep throat and sore throat is that it is strep caused by group A streptococcus bacteria, while other sore throats are caused by other types of bacteria, viruses or irritants like allergies. Different types of pharyngitis also require different treatment plans and medications.
Group A strep infections can occur any time during the year. However, some infections are more common in the United States in certain seasons: Strep throat and scarlet fever are more common in the winter and spring.