Strep infections may be on the rise in the US, as they have been in the UK, so it’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms, especially in children.
“Group A streptococcal disease is a group of conditions caused by bacteria called ‘group A strep,'” says Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, pediatric infectious disease physician at Mayo Clinic Children’s Center. “The one people are probably most familiar with is strep throat. Strep throat is a relatively common infection, especially in school-aged children – between 5 and 15 years old. It’s very unusual in children between less than 3 years.”
Rarely, group A strep can become invasive and spread to other parts of the body, such as the blood or the brain, and cause serious, life-threatening illness.
Signs and Symptoms of Strep Throat
It is common not to cough, sneeze, or runny nose with strep throat. These are signs of a viral infection, such as a cold.
“Strep throat in children may have symptoms that consist of a severe sore throat, usually fairly quick onset. They may have a fever. They may have enlarged lymph nodes, the small lymph nodes at the front of the neck. And if you look at the back of their throat, it probably looks red, and they may have pus on their tonsils.
Look for these signs of strep throat:
— Rapid onset of severe sore throat
painful swallowing
— Fever
– Swollen and enlarged lymph nodes in your neck
Tiny red spots on the back of the throat, on the roof of the mouth
Red, swollen tonsils may have white spots or pus
Test for strep throat
The only way to be sure of a diagnosis of strep throat is to get tested. A swab from the back of the throat can detect whether the bacteria are present or not.
“It is important to recognize that if your child has a sore throat, but it is accompanied by other symptoms, such as a runny nose and cough, it is much more likely that it is caused by a virus and not by a bacterium”, explains Dr. Rajapakse.
“That’s why it’s important to talk to your child’s healthcare professional, as they can sort through the symptoms and decide if it makes sense to test your child for strep throat or if their sore throat is more likely. to be caused by a virus,” she says.
Treat strep throat
Dr. Rajapakse says that strep throat requires antibiotics to treat it. Unlike the common cold or flu, which are viral infections and cannot be treated with antibiotics, strep throat is caused by bacteria.
“We treat this infection for a number of reasons. The first is that it can make your symptoms go away much faster. The second is that it lowers the chance of passing it on to someone else. And the third is to prevent complications. There are a few complications to come.” People may be familiar with rheumatic fever, for example, where we know that treating strep throat reduces the risk of having these complications,” says Dr. Rajapakse.
Amoxicillin deficiency
If you find yourself in a situation where you have been prescribed amoxicillin and you are unable to find any for your child, it is very important to speak to your pharmacist as well as to the healthcare professional. who prescribed the medicine for you, as there are other alternatives. that can be used,” says Dr. Rajapakse,
Dr. Rajapakse says that if this happens, your pharmacist and healthcare professional should be able to recommend another antibiotic, or they can advise you on how to use another formulation of amoxicillin available – for example, crush a tablet or open a capsule if your child is unable to swallow medicine.
Transmission
Strep bacteria can be spread from person to person through direct contact and through respiratory droplets.
These bacteria often live in the nose and throat and are transmitted by infected people in respiratory droplets containing the bacteria when they cough, speak or sneeze, for example.
Direct contact means that the bacteria can be spread by coming into contact with infected sores or sores on the skin, or nasal secretions of an infected person, for example.
Prevention
There is no vaccine to help prevent group A strep, but there are ways to help prevent the spread of germs and bacteria.
— Wash your laundry.
Use good cough etiquette. Teach children to cover their mouth with an elbow or a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
— Stay home when you are sick.
— Avoid sharing drinks and utensils with others, especially if they are sick.
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