It’s not uncommon for a child to complain of a sore throat or for a medical professional to see patients with sore throats.
Six weeks into the school year with fall just around the corner, students are already presenting at medical clinics with sore throats.
But not every sore throat means that a child has a strep throat.
Carle Mahomet has seen an increase of strep-like symptoms recently, but many of the cultures are coming back negative.
“What seems to be going around right now is viral for the majority of people.”
“In the wintertime, 30 percent of sore throat can be strep, but throughout the year only about 15-percent of all sore throats are actually strep,” said Jean Husmann, a PA with Carle.
While a sore throat can be caused by a virus or even allergies at times, symptoms of strep throat will also include a red throat that could also potentially present with white patches, body aches and typically a fever.
Husmann said strep throat patients usually do not also have a runny nose, earache or coughing.
“If your child has a sore throat and a fever, I’d probably recommend that they be seen to get a strep test done in the office. That’s really the only way to diagnose strep,” she said.
Another symptom of the strep bacteria can also be what is diagnosed as scarlet fever or scarlatina.
“Scarlet fever and scarlatina has been around for a long time. Scarlet fever is just a strep rash. So if strep is going around, you will definitely see scarlet fever.”
Scarlet fever and scarlatina are the same medical condition.
“Some people with the strep infection will have the rash, and not a sore throat, some people will have both.”
The rash is what separates strep throat and scarlet fever.
Scarlet fever can present as a rash with a sandpaper texture on the neck, face and/or upper body, a bright red “strawberry” tongue, swollen lymph nodes or white patches on the back of the throat. Those with scarlet fever can run a fever as well.
Husmann said a scarlet fever diagnosis is far less common than a strep throat diagnosis, though.
Because the strep bacteria is very contagious among persons who have been in contact with an infected individual, Husmann suggests that parents teach their children to wash their hands, to not share drinks or utensils, to cover their mouth with their elbow while coughing, to not touch their face and to keep the child home when they are sick.
“If (the child is) running a fever greater than 100.4, it is recommended that children or an adult stay home for 24 hours after the fever is resolved. If your child doesn’t look good, doesn’t feel good and they have cold symptoms, I still would not send them to school.”
Husmann said to look for symptoms like lethargy, a pale skin tone or an unwillingness to participate in activities the child would normally enjoy.
“I’d keep them home and let them rest,” she said.
