Strep Throat - Description

Strep throat accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all sore throats. Anyone can get the disease but it is most common among school age children and certain groups of adults. Adults at higher risk include smokers, people who are unusually tired, and those who live in damp, crowded conditions.

Strep throat occurs most often between November and April. The disease passes directly from person to person and coughing, sneezing, or close contact can transfer it from one person to another. If someone in a household has strep throat there is a one in four chance that another person in the household will get the infection, too.