April 20, 2023 – The variety of strep throat cases skyrocketed last winter, breaking a pre-pandemic trend that had been predictable since 2017, in line with a brand new report.
Overall, cases of throat infections increased by 30% in comparison with the previous peak six years ago, in line with a analysis by Epic Research. The research firm analyzed medical records and showed that in February of this 12 months, one in 100 doctor visits or emergency room visits were diagnosed with strep throat.
As with many diseases, strep throat numbers had declined through the pandemic, but its strong return this season prompted the CDC to issue a warning to health officials in December.
The increase was seen across all age groups, but was particularly evident amongst 4- to 13-year-olds, in line with Epic Research. In this age group, strep throat was diagnosed at greater than 5 out of 10 doctor visits in February.
“We have really seen an unprecedented increase in group A streptococcus – more than we have probably seen here, at least in a decade, and probably even longer,” said Sam Dominguez, MD, PhD, an infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital Colorado, NBC News.
The CDC confirmed that unpublished state statistics showed an unusual increase in strep throat last winter, the news agency reported. The high rates proceed in some parts of the U.S. A CDC spokesperson told NBC News that “many states continue to see higher than average numbers of invasive group A strep throat cases, particularly in children ages 17 and younger and adults ages 65 and older.”
The Epic Research evaluation diagnosed the highly contagious diseases streptococcal pharyngitis and streptococcal tonsillitis, amongst others. They are brought on by the bacteria A streptococcuscommonly referred to as group A streptococcus. Typical symptoms include fever, pain when swallowing and sore throat, which may occur in a short time. CDC saysGroup A streptococcus spreads through direct contact and respiratory droplets, and symptoms typically appear 2 to five days after infection.