Strep throat, also known as streptococcal pharyngitis, is a type of pharyngitis that’s derived from the group A streptococcus (GAS). This condition is responsible for sore throat in about 37 percent of children and up to 15 percent of adults.
Strep throat is commonly spread through contact with another infected person or object. This infection can even occur during the incubation. The most common sources of contact for strep throat contractions often involve coming in close contact with a friend, family member or spouse affected by the condition.
This condition is defined by the symptom of contracting a sore throat. It also causes people to develop a fever of more than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, enlarged lymph nodes and, in some cases, white/yellow sports on the tonsils and throat. Common symptoms often include nausea and vomiting.
The Incubation Period
The incubation period of this illness actually varies between people infected with the condition. In most cases, the incubation period for strep throat will last between one to five days. This causes people who are exposed to the strep bacteria to manifest symptoms as early as one day after infection and as late as five days after infection.
Most people are known to develop strep throat after about three days of incubating the illness after contact. People, who are infected by strep throat, even when it’s dormant, can potentially infect others during the incubation period with or without noticeable symptoms.
People that end up receiving antibiotic treatment medication for strep throat will no longer be contagious about 24 hours after receiving the medication. Without antibiotic treatment, however, a person infected with strep throat will remain contagious for as long as three weeks.
During the incubation period, people can unknowingly spread the bacteria from place to place. This usually happens when they touch objects without washing or disinfecting their hands after touching their mouth, nose or other parts of the body. The strep throat bacteria can survive on many surfaces, so it’s important for people to disinfect those surfaces after having the condition.
After receiving antibiotic treatment, people that no longer have strep throat will start to feel better after the symptoms subside. People with strep throat should take care to seek the appropriate medication attention to help relieve the illness’ more acute symptoms. This condition is known to cause some bodily complications if a person affected with it doesn’t seek appropriate medical treatment.
