Strep throat is caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus. Strep throat is contagious and can be spread by breathing in droplets from an infected person's coughs and sneezes. It can also be spread through shared food or drinks.

Key points about strep throat

Strep throat is different from a viral sore throat you might get with a cold.
Strep throat is caused by a bacteria called Streptococcus.
Without treatment, strep throat can cause rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever can damage your heart.
Strep throat is contagious. It is spread by close contact, often by breathing in droplets from an infected person’s coughs and sneezes. It can also be spread through shared food or drinks.
Living close to other people, such as in your family home, school, hostels, makes it easy to pass on strep throat.

It's very difficult to tell the difference between a viral sore throat and strep throat. Every time your child has a sore throat take them to get their throat checked straight away. Don’t wait to see if your child’s throat gets better. ‘Strep throat’ needs to be treated immediately. Treating sore throats early can stop rheumatic fever from developing.

Ask your children to tell you when they have a sore throat so they can be checked. Your child may get a lot of sore throats but you need to get it checked every time and straight away.

Important information about rheumatic fever

If you are at higher risk of rheumatic fever it is very important that a sore throat is always checked early by a nurse or GP. This is because untreated strep throat can cause rheumatic fever and heart damage for life.

You are at higher risk of rheumatic fever if:

· you have had rheumatic fever before

· someone in your family or household has had rheumatic fever.

Or if you have 2 or more of the following:

· Māori or Pasifika ethnicity

· Aged 3–35 years

· Live in crowded living conditions.

The treatment of strep throat depends on your risk of getting rheumatic fever. If you are at low risk, treatment is aimed at self-care to ease the pain and the infection will get better on its own in a few days. However, some people will also need antibiotic medicine.

Self-care

Suck a teaspoon of honey (not safe for children under one year) or gargle salt water.
Adults can try using a gargle, throat spray or pain-relief (anaesthetic) lozenges. These are not suitable for children.
Take paracetamol – check doses carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist whether it is safe for you.

Antibiotic medicine

If you have a higher risk of getting rheumatic fever, or if you have a high risk of spreading the bacteria, eg, you are a healthcare worker, residential care worker, food handler, teacher, childcare worker or student, treatment with antibiotics may be started as soon a throat swab is done.

Antibiotics (penicillin or amoxicillin) are normally given for 10 days. You should finish the full course to make sure the strep throat does not cause rheumatic fever.
A one-off antibiotic injection to treat a strep throat might be a good alternative for children if you think they may find it hard to take the full 10-day course of capsules or liquid.
Keep children away from school or early childhood centres for at least 24 hours after they start antibiotics, to reduce the risk of spreading the strep bacteria.

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