Strep Throat Exposure

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Strep Exposure (Close Contact)

• Household Close Contact. Lives with a person whose Strep test was positive. This can be a sibling, parent, or other household member.
• Kissing relationship with someone (boyfriend, girlfriend) who has a positive Strep test.
• Close contact should be within 10 days of onset of symptoms in exposed child. Reason: time from contact to Strep symptoms usually is 2 to 5 days.
• Throat cultures and rapid Strep tests aren't urgent. Most can be done in your doctor's office.

Types of Limited Contact with Strep

• Contact with someone outside the home with a positive Strep test. This type of contact occurs at school.
• Sometimes, the contact is with someone who was treated for Strep without testing.
• If fever is gone, children taking antibiotics for at least 12 hours do not spread Strep to others.

When to Call for Strep Throat Exposure

Care Advice

Treatment for Contacts With Symptoms (Pending a Strep Test)

What You Should Know About Strep Exposure and Sore Throats:

• A Strep test is not urgent.
• It could be a Strep throat or just a viral infection of the throat.
• A sore throat is often part of a cold.
• Until you get a Strep test, here is some care advice that should help.

Sore Throat Relief:

• Age over 1 year. Can sip warm fluids such as chicken broth or apple juice. Some children prefer cold foods such as popsicles or ice cream.
• Age over 6 years. Can also suck on hard candy or lollipops. Butterscotch seems to help.
• Age over 8 years. Can also gargle. Use warm water with a little table salt added. A liquid antacid can be added instead of salt. Use Mylanta or the store brand. No prescription is needed.
• Medicated throat sprays or lozenges are generally not helpful.

Pain Medicine:

• To help with the pain, give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
• Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil).
• Use as needed.

Fever Medicine:

• For fevers higher than 102° F (39° C), give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
• Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil).
• Note: fevers less than 102° F (39° C) are important for fighting infections.
• For all fevers: keep your child well hydrated. Give lots of cold fluids.

Fluids and Soft Diet:

• Try to get your child to drink adequate fluids.
• Goal: keep your child well hydrated.
• Cold drinks, milk shakes, popsicles, slushes, and sherbet are good choices.
• Solids. Offer a soft diet. Also avoid foods that need much chewing. Avoid citrus, salty, or spicy foods. Note: fluid intake is much more important than eating any solids.
• Swollen tonsils can make some solid foods hard to swallow.

Return to School:

• Your child may have a Strep throat infection. Wait for the result of the rapid Strep test. If it is negative, your child can go back to school.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Your child becomes worse

Treatment for Contacts Without Symptoms

What You Should Know About Strep Exposure Without Symptoms:

• Many children have contact with someone with Strep throat. Most will not come down with an infection. This is especially true if the contact occurs outside the home.
• Strep tests are not needed for children without any symptoms.

Time It Takes to Get Strep Throat:

• Time from contact to Strep symptoms usually is 2 to 5 days.

Return to School:

• If your child has no symptoms, he does not need to miss any school.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Your child gets any Strep symptoms in the next 7 days

Remember! Contact your doctor if you or your child develop any "Contact Your Doctor" symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.