How does Group A strep spread to others?
Group A strep infections can spread from person to person by direct contact with saliva or nasal discharge. Most people do not get group A strep infections from casual contact with others, but a crowded environment like a dormitory, school, or an institutional setting can make it easier for the bacteria to spread. There have also been reports of contaminated food, especially milk and milk products, causing infection. A person becomes sick within 3 days after being exposed to the germ. Once people become infected, they can pass the infection to others for up to 2 to 3 weeks even if they don’t have symptoms. After 24 hours of antibiotic treatment, a person will no longer spread the bacteria to others. How is strep throat diagnosed? Your doctor or other health care worker will take a sample from your throat. This will be used for a culture or a rapid strep test, which only takes 10 to 20 minutes. If the result of the rapid test is negative, your doctor may do a follow-up culture to confir
