Story by: Joe Hall Reviewed by Kristina K. Bryant, M.D. on May 3, 2023
With offices across the Louisville area and Southern Indiana, Norton Children’s Medical Group, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, is close to you.
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Norton Children’s has treated more patients for strep throat so far in 2023 than all of last year, and there also has been an increase in a potentially life-threatening form of invasive strep.
Pediatricians with Norton Children’s Medical Group, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, diagnosed 7,100 cases of strep through March 2023, a 69% increase from the 4,200 pediatric patients diagnosed with strep throat in the same period last year. There’s also been a large increase in patients testing positive in local emergency departments.
The rapid escalation in local strep cases is part of a national trend. Pediatricians in other states have reported strep cases that have returned to or surpassed averages recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Our offices have been busy with strep throat patients, which means this highly contagious disease is circulating in our communities,” said Heather M. Felton, M.D., pediatrician with Norton Children’s Medical Group. “If your child displays symptoms of strep throat infection, it’s important to see their pediatrician so they can begin treatment as soon as possible if they test positive.”
The same bacteria that causes strep throat and scarlet fever also can cause more serious infections that require treatment in the hospital with IV antibiotics. These include infections in the blood and meningitis. The condition can be fatal.
“Usually this form of strep is rare, but since last fall, we’ve seen five patients with group A strep bloodstream infections and two with meningitis,” said Kristina K. Bryant, M.D., pediatric infectious diseases specialist with Norton Children’s Infectious Diseases, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine “We’ve also seen kids with bone infections, abscesses in muscles and lymph nodes, and even children with toxic shock syndrome caused by strep.”
Most sore throats are caused by viruses. If your child has a runny nose, cough, hoarseness, and red or runny eyes, they probably have a virus that will clear up on its own.
However, sore throats are just one symptom of strep. Other signs that your child may have strep throat include:
School-aged children and teenagers tend to get strep throat most often during the school year when large groups of people are close together.
Sneezing, coughing or shaking hands easily can spread strep infection from one person to another. That’s why covering coughs and sneezes and practicing proper hand hygiene are especially important when strep throat is circulating in your community.
Pediatricians can complete rapid strep tests during office visits to quickly determine whether patients have strep infections.
Strep infections are treated with antibiotics. First-line antibiotics continue to be penicillin or amoxicillin. Resistance to these antibiotics has not been identified, although occasionally, a patient will require treatment with a second course of antibiotics or a different antibiotic. It’s important for patients to take antibiotics as directed to fully treat their infections and prevent spreading strep throat to others.
Some simple steps can help soothe strep throat symptoms during recovery. Patients can consume warm liquids like soups and teas to soothe sore throats, and frozen foods like ice cream and frozen pops (like Popsicles) can help numb soreness. Patients also should stay hydrated while recovering from strep throat.