As summer ends and fall begins, students may start to fear waking up in the morning with that foreboding scratch in the throat. With a variety of ailments that may cause a sore throat, however, many might have trouble identifying whether this symptom means a cold, virus - or even strep throat.
Strep throat is caused by a specific bacteria called Group A Streptococcus, leading to a sore throat for those afflicted. Strep is mainly passed through direct contact with infected parties or even carriers who are not sick, Student Health Physician Joe Chance said.
"Some people can be asymptomatic carriers," Chance said. "As much as 5 percent of the population carry Group A Streptococcus in their mouth without any symptoms. But when they share eating utensils and drinks or kiss others, etc., then those people will become sick."
Because strep passes through direct contact, the best way to avoid the ailment is by not sharing eating and drinking equipment, Chance said.
"It is contagious if you do have that close contact," he said.
Second-year College student Lindsey Arturo can relate to the disease's symptom of concentrated pain.
"It felt like a little angry man in my throat," Arturo said. "The worst part was the pain."
Strep can be serious but it rarely leads to other problems, Chance said. He also noted that a sore throat doesn't always mean strep. "The idea that every sore throat is strep throat is just not accurate," he said. "Viruses, such as mono, can cause very severe sore throats."
Chance added that the main symptom of strep throat is soreness - meaning that if other symptoms such as coughing or a runny nose are present, it is more likely that a different virus is at the root of the problem.
Students who suspect they may have strep throat should go to Student Health to take a rapid strep test, Chance said. "It's a throat swab ... based on an antigen-antibody reaction," he said. The test takes about 15 to 20 minutes with 95 percent accuracy, Chance noted.
If a student tests positive for strep throat, possible treatments may include an antibiotic, penicillin or derivatives or, if allergic, other agents, Chance said. Unfortunately, although treatment prevents contagiousness, it only reduces symptoms.
"It doesn't make nearly the difference people expect it to make," he said. "Ibuprofen or Tylenol will make symptoms much better. But you definitely need an antibiotic if you have strep."
Despite many cases of sore throat diagnosed at Student Health, only a small percentage of students test positive for strep. Until a person is 15 years old, he has a 30 percent chance of his sore throat being caused by strep. In a population of college students, however, an individual has a 5 percent chance.
"Everyone is worried about [strep] because they used to have it a lot, but once you get older, your chance of getting it falls drastically," Chance said, adding that a decreased likelihood of catching the strep bug is one of the advantages of additional years. "I think most students think they have as much a chance of getting strep as they did in grammar school. That's just not true. I'm not saying you shouldn't come in and get tested, but you shouldn't be surprised when it turns out to be a negative test."
As for many "common" diseases, there are also those community members who somehow mostly avoid strep throat. Third-year College student Alex Cutler, for example, said he had strep only once - when he was about 13 years old - and has not contracted the bacteria since.
Arturo, on the other hand, had strep once last year and about four times prior to coming to the University.
"[Being older] hasn't worked for me yet," she joked. "But I figured I'd get some kind of sickness in the college environment. Better strep throat than meningitis"
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