Is this your child's symptom?

• Close contact with someone who has a Strep throat infection.
• Close contact means living in the same house with the infected person. It also includes close physical contact such as having a kissing relationship.

Strep Exposure (Close Contact)

• Household Close Contact. Lives with a person whose Strep test was positive. This can be a sibling, parent, or other household member.
• Kissing relationship with someone (boyfriend, girlfriend) who has a positive Strep test.
• Close contact should be within 10 days of onset of symptoms in exposed child. Reason: time from contact to Strep symptoms usually is 2 to 5 days.
• Throat cultures and rapid Strep tests aren't urgent. Most can be done in your doctor's office.

Types of Limited Contact with Strep

• Contact with someone outside the home with a positive Strep test. This type of contact occurs at school.
• Sometimes, the contact is with someone who was treated for Strep without testing.
• If fever is gone, children taking antibiotics for at least 12 hours do not spread Strep to others.

Care Advice

Treatment for Contacts With Symptoms (Pending a Strep Test)

What You Should Know About Strep Exposure and Sore Throats:

• A Strep test is not urgent.
• It could be a Strep throat or just a viral infection of the throat.
• A sore throat is often part of a cold.
• Until you get a Strep test, here is some care advice that should help.

Sore Throat Relief:

• Age over 1 year. Can sip warm fluids such as chicken broth or apple juice. Some children prefer cold foods such as popsicles or ice cream.
• Age over 6 years. Can also suck on hard candy or lollipops. Butterscotch seems to help.
• Age over 8 years. Can also gargle. Use warm water with a little table salt added. A liquid antacid can be added instead of salt. Use Mylanta or the store brand. No prescription is needed.
• Medicated throat sprays or lozenges are generally not helpful.

Pain Medicine:

• To help with the pain, give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
• Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil).
• Use as needed.

Fever Medicine:

• For fevers higher than 102° F (39° C), give an acetaminophen product (such as Tylenol).
• Another choice is an ibuprofen product (such as Advil).
• Note: fevers less than 102° F (39° C) are important for fighting infections.
• For all fevers: keep your child well hydrated. Give lots of cold fluids.

Fluids and Soft Diet:

• Try to get your child to drink adequate fluids.
• Goal: keep your child well hydrated.
• Cold drinks, milk shakes, popsicles, slushes, and sherbet are good choices.
• Solids. Offer a soft diet. Also avoid foods that need much chewing. Avoid citrus, salty, or spicy foods. Note: fluid intake is much more important than eating any solids.
• Swollen tonsils can make some solid foods hard to swallow.

Return to School:

• Your child may have a Strep throat infection. Wait for the result of the rapid Strep test. If it is negative, your child can go back to school.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Your child becomes worse

Treatment for Contacts Without Symptoms

What You Should Know About Strep Exposure Without Symptoms:

• Many children have contact with someone with Strep throat. Most will not come down with an infection. This is especially true if the contact occurs outside the home.
• Strep tests are not needed for children without any symptoms.

Time It Takes to Get Strep Throat:

• Time from contact to Strep symptoms usually is 2 to 5 days.

Return to School:

• If your child has no symptoms, he does not need to miss any school.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Your child gets any Strep symptoms in the next 7 days

Remember! Contact your doctor if you or your child develop any "Contact Your Doctor" symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.

Copyright 2000-2025 Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines LLC.