Strep Throat

This time of year, colds and fevers are common, and under normal circumstances should be no cause for concern. Bugs pass easily between family members — especially if you have school-aged children — and towns and cities become rife with illness as people struggle to come in to work despite their illnesses.

Streptococcal pharyngitis, commonly known as strep throat, is a bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes (or group A streptococcus). Anyone can get strep throat, but it’s most common in children between the ages of 5 and 15.