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Basics
- Summary
- Start Here
- Diagnosis and Tests
- Prevention and Risk Factors
Learn More
- Related Issues
- Specifics
See, Play and Learn
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Research
- Statistics and Research
- Clinical Trials
- Journal Articles
Resources
- Find an Expert
For You
- Children
- Teenagers
- Women
- Patient Handouts
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
- Group B Strep Infection: Prevention in Newborns (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
- Glomerulonephritis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Glomerulonephritis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Scarlet Fever: All You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Sydenham Chorea (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Specifics
- Necrotizing Fasciitis: All You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Strep Throat (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Strep Throat: All You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Toxic Shock Syndrome (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Statistics and Research
- Group B Strep (GBS): Fast Facts and Statistics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
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)
- Article: Streptococcus agalactiae glycolipids promote virulence by thwarting immune cell clearance.
- Article: Increase in invasive group A streptococcal infections (iGAS) in children and...
- Article: Long-term healthcare utilisation, costs and quality of life after invasive group...
- Streptococcal Infections -- see more articles
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 (For Parents) (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
