• Sore throat

• Red throat

• White patches in throat

• Difficulty swallowing

• Fever that begins suddenly

• Tender, swollen lymph nodes in the neck

• General discomfort, uneasiness or ill feeling

• Nausea

• Loss of appetite

• Rash

     Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

• Neck pain

• Nasal discharge

• Nasal congestion

• Muscle pain

• Joint stiffness

• Headache

• Abnormal taste

Screening and Diagnostics

• Examination:

1. Elevated white blood cell count

2. Rapid strep antigen testing from a throat swab

3. Culture is more accurate than rapid strep testing, but takes about 48 hours to make the diagnosis

Treatment

• Antibiotics -- many are effective, including penicillin, amoxicillin, or erythromycin

Complications

• Ear infection

• Sinusitis

• Mastoiditis

• Peritonsillar abscess

• Rheumatic fever

• Glomerulonephritis

• Scarlet fever

Prevention

     Most people with strep are contagious until they have been on antibiotics 24-48 hours. Thus, they should stay home from school, daycare, or work until they have been on antibiotics for at least a day.

     Get a new toothbrush after you are no longer contagious, but before finishing the antibiotics. Otherwise the bacteria can live in the toothbrush and re-infect when the antibiotics are done. Also, keep your family's toothbrushes and utensils separate, unless they have been washed.

     If repeated cases of strep still occur in a family, you might check to see if someone is a strep carrier. Carriers have strep in their throats, but the bacteria do not make them sick. Sometimes, treating them can prevent others from getting strep throat.