From the Guidelines
Strep throat is most commonly seen in children between 5 and 15 years of age. This age group is particularly susceptible due to close contact with others in school settings and less developed immune systems 1. While adults can get strep throat, it is less frequent in this population. Infants and toddlers under 3 years old rarely get strep throat, despite being exposed to the bacteria, likely due to different immune responses and fewer receptors for the bacteria to attach to in their throats.
Key Points
- The peak incidence of strep throat occurs during late fall, winter, and early spring when people spend more time indoors in close proximity 1.
- If strep throat is suspected, a rapid strep test or throat culture should be performed for diagnosis, and treatment typically involves antibiotics such as penicillin or amoxicillin for a full 10-day course to prevent complications like rheumatic fever 1.
- Clinical findings suggestive of strep throat include sore throat, pain on swallowing, fever, and headache, as well as tonsillopharyngeal erythema with or without exudates, and anterior cervical lymphadenitis 1.
- Accurate differentiation of strep throat from pharyngitis caused by other pathogens based on history and clinical findings is often difficult, and some form of microbiological confirmation is required for diagnosis 1.
From the FDA Drug Label
Pharyngitis/Tonsillitis In three double-blind controlled studies, conducted in the United States, azithromycin (12 mg/kg once a day for 5 days) was compared to penicillin V (250 mg three times a day for 10 days) in the treatment of pharyngitis due to documented Group A β-hemolytic streptococci (GABHS or S. pyogenes) The age at which strep throat occurs is not explicitly stated in the provided text, but based on the information about the studies, it can be inferred that strep throat can occur in patients from an unspecified age. However, other parts of the label mention studies involving patients from 6 months to 12 years of age.
- The exact age range for strep throat is not provided.
- Pediatric patients are mentioned as being part of the studies.
- No specific age is given for when strep throat typically occurs 2.
From the Research
Age Distribution of Strep Throat
- Strep throat can occur at any age, but it is most common in school-aged children, with a peak at 7-8 years of age 3.
- The infection is rare in children under 3 years of age and becomes less common in late adolescence through adulthood 3.
- According to one study, the age range of participants with confirmed acute GABHS tonsillopharyngitis was from one month to 80 years 4.
- Another study mentions that patient ages of 3 to 15 years increase clinical suspicion of group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis 5.
Demographic Characteristics
- Strep throat accounts for nearly 12 million visits annually in the United States, primarily affecting children 3.
- The infection is more common in low- and middle-income countries and other situations where crowding is common, such as schools 3.
- In the United States, 5-15% of adults and 15-35% of children with pharyngitis have a GABHS infection 6.