Strep throat is a contagious disease caused by a bacteria called streptococcal. The disease may be spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, causing this bacteria to be projected into the air. It may also be spread if someone with the infection touches an object, such as a book or desk, which is later touched by an uninfected person. Healthy persons may also contract this viral infection when eating or drinking after someone who is carrying this bacteria or by shaking their hand.
An affected individual will often have swollen tonsils or lymph nodes. This swelling can cause a person to also have a deep cough. The streptococcal bacteria usually thrive in the moist environments of the nose and throat, so they can be projected along with saliva when someone coughs or sneezes. The bacteria can then land on a healthy person, which might cause an infection.
Oftentimes this disease is spread between children in schools. If a pupil who has strep throat touches an object such as a water fountain or desk and another student then touches the same object followed by her nose or ears, infection could enter her body. The infection might also be shared when papers are passed back and forth from teacher to child.
Strep throat can also be spread whenever someone eats or drinks after another person who has the infection. This is due to the fact that the bacteria are living in the saliva of the diseased individual. The bacteria can be absorbed in the mucous membranes of the healthy person, meaning that conditions are favorable for a viral infection to fester.
Another common way to spread this throat infection would be through shaking another party’s hand. If a person had used her hand to cover her mouth after a cough or sneeze, bacteria could get on the appendage. In the event that person had not washed and sanitized her hands before shaking, the strep throat infection could possibly be transferred to the other individual.
Those who are prone to sore throats or viral infections should consider taking precautions against this bacterial infection. One of the preventative measures they may want to contemplate is making sure eating utensils are washed in very hot water and not shared. Persons might also wash their hands frequently, especially after coughing or sneezing. Finally, parents of school children who are infected with strep throat should think about keeping these students at home until they are released by a medical professional so they do not spread this disease to their classmates.