Streptococcal Infections

Also called: Strep

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Basics

Summary
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Diagnosis and Tests
Prevention and Risk Factors

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Related Issues
Specifics

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Summary

Strep is short for Streptococcus, a type of bacteria. There are several types. Two of them cause most of the strep infections in people: group A and group B.

Group A strep causes:

Strep throat - a sore, red throat. Your tonsils may be swollen and have white spots on them.
Scarlet fever - an illness that follows strep throat. It causes a red rash on the body.
Impetigo - a skin infection
Toxic shock syndrome
Cellulitis and necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating disease)

Group B strep can cause blood infections, pneumonia and meningitis in newborns. A screening test during pregnancy can tell if you have it. If you do, intravenous (IV) antibiotics during labor can save your baby's life. Adults can also get group B strep infections, especially if they are 65 or older or already have health problems. Strep B can cause urinary tract infections, blood infections, skin infections and pneumonia in adults.

Antibiotics are used to treat strep infections.

Start Here

Group A Streptococcal Infections (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Strep Throat (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

Rapid Strep Test (American Academy of Family Physicians)
Strep A Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Strep B Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Strep Test: Rapid (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Strep Test: Throat Culture (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

Preventing Group B Strep Disease in Newborns (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

About Scarlet Fever (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Glomerulonephritis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Glomerulonephritis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Sydenham Chorea (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Specifics

About Necrotizing Fasciitis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
About Strep Throat (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Strep Throat (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Toxic Shock Syndrome (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

Group B Strep Surveillance and Trends (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Rheumatic Fever (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Streptococcal Infections (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

Children

Group A Strep Infections (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) Questions and Answers (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish
Recurring Strep Throat: When Is Tonsillectomy Useful? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Scarlet Fever (VisualDX)
Scarlet Fever (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Scoop on Strep Throat (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Sepsis (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Strep Throat (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Streptococcal Infections: Not A or B (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
What about My Child and Rheumatic Fever? (American Heart Association) - PDF

Teenagers

Strep Throat (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Toxic Shock Syndrome (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Women

Group B Strep Infection (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

Ecthyma (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Erysipelas (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Group B streptococcal septicemia of the newborn (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Group B streptococcus - pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Perianal streptococcal cellulitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Rheumatic fever (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Scarlet fever (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Strep throat (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Streptococcal screen (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Throat swab culture (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Toxic shock syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish