What is streptococcal angina? | Streptococci

What is streptococcal angina?

Streptococcal angina, also called acute tonsillar angina, is an inflammation of the palatal tonsils. The most common pathogen of this disease is Streptococcus pyogenes. Especially children between the ages of 3 and 14 years of age are more frequently affected by this angina.

The streptococci are transmitted from one person to another via a droplet infection. The symptoms of streptococcal angina can vary greatly and asymptomatic courses are also possible. Fever, headache, cough and sore throat can occur.

Because of the swollen palatal tonsils, speech sounds clumsy and swallowing can be painful. Nausea or abdominal pain is also possible. The diagnosis is mainly made by examining the throat.

The palatine tonsils become enlarged and reddened when infected. There may also be white spots on them. A throat swab or an examination of the bacteria is possible, but not always necessary.

A blood test is not routinely performed as part of the initial diagnosis. Prognosis: Acute tonsillitis comes quickly, but also goes away quickly. With a properly performed therapy, the chances of recovery are very high.

The therapy consists mainly of sufficient fluid intake and the administration of painkillers. If an infection with streptococci is detected, the antibiotic penicillin V can be given. The therapy consists mainly of sufficient fluid intake and the administration of painkillers. If an infection with streptococci is detected, the antibiotic penicillin V can be administered.

What is streptococcal sepsis

Sepsis is often colloquially referred to as blood poisoning. This is formally not quite correct. A new definition describes sepsis as a disordered function of the organ systems due to a suspected infection, which can be life-threatening.

Streptococci are the third most common trigger of sepsis. Streptococcal sepsis typically begins with an infection, which then leads to pneumonia or soft tissue inflammation, for example. If the immune system is not working properly, an inflammatory reaction of the entire body and sepsis occurs.

Can I be vaccinated against streptococci?

One can only vaccinate against pneumococcus. Children are vaccinated against pneumococcus at the age of 2, 4 and 11-14 months. If no complete basic immunization has taken place by the 14th month of life, one can still be re-vaccinated by the 23rd month of life.

Premature babies are additionally vaccinated at the age of 3 months, i.e. 4 times in total. In addition, STIKO recommends further vaccination against pneumococcus for people over 60 years of age. The following topic could also be interesting for you: Why one should vaccinate