Presented by: Roland Duane Tabas

Strep Throat
Strep throat is a bacterial infection in the throat and the

tonsils. The throat gets irritated and inflamed, causing a sudden, severe sore throat. Strep throat is caused by streptococcal (strep) bacteria.Streptococcal pharyngitis, streptococcal tonsillitis, or streptococcal sore throat (known colloquially as strep throat) is a type of pharyngitis caused by a group A streptococcal infection. It affects the pharynx including the tonsils and possibly the larynx. Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, and enlarged lymph nodes. It is the cause of 37% of sore throats among children.Strep throat is a contagious infection, spread through close contact with an infected individual.

Sources
A sore throat can have many causes including: Common viruses, and even the viruses that cause mononucleosis (mono) and the flu, can cause a sore throat. Some viruses can also produce blisters in the mouth and throat ("aphthous stomatitis"). Breathing through the mouth can produce throat dryness and soreness. Sinus drainage (post nasal drip) may cause a sore throat. A sore throat can also be caused by bacteria. The two most common bacteria to cause a sore throat are Streptococcus (which causes strep throat) and Arcanobacterium haemolyticum. Arcanobacterium causes sore throats mainly in young adults and is sometimes associated with a fine red rash. Sore throat appearing after treatment with antibiotics, chemotherapy, or other immunecompromising medications may be due to Candida, commonly known as "thrush. A sore throat lasting for more than two weeks can be a sign of a serious illness, such as throat cancer or AIDS.

Pathogenecity ang virulence

Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A streptococcus) is a Gram-positive, nonmotile, nonsporeforming coccus that occurs in chains or in pairs of cells. Individual cells are round-to-ovoid cocci, 0.6-1.0 micrometer in diameter (Figure 1). Streptococci divide in one plane and thus occur in pairs or (especially in liquid media or clinical material) in chains of varying lengths. The metabolism of S. pyogenes is fermentative; the organism is a catalasenegative aerotolerant anaerobe (facultative anaerobe), and requires enriched medium containing blood in order to grow. Group A streptococci typically have a capsule composed of hyaluronic acid and exhibit beta (clear) hemolysis on blood agar. Streptococcus pyogenes is one of the most frequent pathogens of humans. It is estimated that between 5-15% of normal individuals harbor the bacterium, usually in the respiratory tract, without signs of disease. As normal flora, S. pyogenes can infect when defenses are compromised or when the organisms are able to penetrate the constitutive defenses. When the bacteria are introduced or transmitted to vulnerable tissues, a variety of types of suppurative infections can occur.

Transmission
You can get strep throat by direct contact with saliva

or fluids from the nose from an infected person. Most people do not get group A strep infections from casual contact with others. A crowded environment like a dormitory, school, or nursing home, however, can make it easier for the bacteria to spread. There have also been reports of contaminated food, especially milk and milk products, causing infection

Signs and symptoms

symptoms include:
Headache Nausea and vomiting

Abdominal pain
Myalgia (muscle pain) Scarlatiniform rash or palatal petechiae

Treatment
Self-Care and Home Remedies like: Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration Throat lozenges can sometimes provide temporary relief for a minor sore throat Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications. Get extra sleep. Herbal teas

Medication
Penicillin
Cephalosporins Macrolides

Prevention
The best preventive measure against strep throat involves

instituting measures to minimize the spread of the illness to others. There is currently no vaccine available to prevent strep throat. Keep eating utensils, dishes, and drinking glasses separate from any infected person. Do not to share foods and drinks, napkins, handkerchiefs, or towels because infection may spread by these objects of personal use. Cover the mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough, this helps prevent the release of infected airborne droplets. Washing the hands frequently will help both the infected person and the uninfected people prevent the bacteria spreading to others

Pathophysiology
the capsuleStreptococci are a large group of gram-

positive, nonmotile, nonspore-forming cocci about 0.5-1.2 m in size. They often grow in pairs or chains and are oxidase- and catalase-negative. S pyogenes tends to colonize the upper respiratory tract and is highly virulent as it overcomes the host defense system. The most common forms of S pyogenes disease include respiratory and skin infections, with different strains usually responsible for each form.

 The cell wall of S pyogenes is very complex and

chemically diverse. The antigenic components of the cell are the virulence factors. The extracellular components responsible for the disease process include invasins and exotoxins. The outermost capsule is composed of hyaluronic acid, which has a chemical structure resembling host connective tissue, allowing the bacterium to escape recognition by the host as an offending agent. Thus, the bacterium escapes phagocytosis by neutrophils or macrophages, allowing it to colonize. Lipoteichoic acid and M proteins located on the cell membrane traverse through the cell wall and project outsid.