Synonyms
Cold, hoarseness, sore throat, sore throatIn most cases, sore throat is caused by inflammation, mostly caused by viruses as pathogens. In 2/3 of the examined patients no pathogen could be detected. In the case of sore throats caused by viruses, the following pathogens could be identified: Rhinovirus (and about 100 different subgroups of this virus), Coronavirus (and 3 different subgroups), 5 different groups of the Adenovirus, Herpes Simplex Virus (type 1 + 2), Parainfluenza Virus (type 1-4), Influenza Virus (type A and B).
Coxsackie Virus A, Epstein-Barr Virus, Cytomegalovirus and the HI-Virus rarely cause sore throats, with less than 1% of cases. Besides viruses, numerous bacteria can also cause sore throats. The following bacteria are particularly common: Streptococci of the group A,C,G (so-called beta-hemolytic streptococci) and Haemophilus influenzae.
More rarely, Neisseria, Corynebacteria, Yersinia and Mycoplasma have been detected. A sore throat is not a disease in itself. Rather, there is a variety of diseases that cause sore throats as a symptom.
The following diseases cause sore throats: influenza and colds, pharyngitis (inflammation of the throat), inflammation of the mucous membrane in the mouth (gingivitis and stomatitis), influenza, angina, herpangina, infectious mononucleosis Tonsillitis, diphtheria, epiglotitis, pneumonia, various children’s diseases such as pseudocroup, scarlet fever and mumps. Sore throats due to allergies are also possible. In rare cases, sore throat is the first symptom of a malignant disease, e.g. pharyngeal carcinoma or lymphoma.
