Strep Throat News and Research

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Acute inflammation of the structures of the pharynx and tonsils, also known as tonsillopharyngitis, represents a common condition that is usually encountered in outpatients seeking healthcare interventions. Sore throat and fever are the dominant symptoms of this condition which usually follows a benign course that resolves without any antimicrobial treatment.

Researchers unravel the workings of Group B Strep infections in pregnant women

Researchers from Binghamton University, State University of New York are unraveling the workings of Group B Strep (GBS) infections in pregnant women, which could someday lead to a vaccine.

9 Jan 2024

The shrinking number of primary care physicians is reaching a tipping point

I've been receiving an escalating stream of panicked emails from people telling me their longtime physician was retiring, was no longer taking their insurance, or had gone concierge and would no longer see them unless they ponied up a hefty annual fee.

8 Sep 2023

STING gene variant linked to increased risk of severe group A strep infections

Group A streptococci are fairly common bacteria that can cause, among other things, strep throat or impetigo.

17 Aug 2023

Lollipop-based saliva collection system shows promise for more enjoyable, accurate diagnostic testing

A lollipop might be a sweet reward for a kid who's endured a trip to the doctor's office, but now, this candy could make diagnostic testing during a visit less invasive and more enjoyable.

10 Jul 2023

Long-ignored antibiotic could help fight against multi-drug resistant bacteria

"The end of modern medicine as we know it." That's how the then-director general of the World Health Organization characterized the creeping problem of antimicrobial resistance in 2012.

16 May 2023

UQ-led research effort secures almost $8 million to develop an mRNA Strep A vaccine

A University of Queensland-led research effort to develop an mRNA vaccine against Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) has secured almost $8 million in philanthropic funding.

10 Feb 2023

Antibody discovery could explain why so many group A strep vaccines have failed

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered an antibody with the potential to protect against Strep A infection, as well as a rare form of antibody binding, that leads to an effective immune response against bacteria.

12 Dec 2022

Sociability in monkeys associated with higher abundance of beneficial gut bacteria

Social connections are essential for good health and wellbeing in social animals, such as ourselves and other primates. There is also increasing evidence that the gut microbiome – through the so-called 'gut-brain axis' – plays a key role in our physical and mental health and that bacteria can be transmitted socially, for example through touch.

11 Nov 2022

Did COVID-19 mitigation measures in the United Kingdom impact the transmission of other infectious diseases?

Researchers explored the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-associated non-pharmaceutical prevention measures on the transmission of 22 infectious diseases in England.

25 Oct 2022

Highly sensitive DNA test identifies neuroborreliosis in horses

A Rutgers scientist aiming to help heal a sick horse created an ultra-sensitive DNA test that could have applications for difficult-to-detect illnesses in humans such as Lyme disease.

18 Aug 2022

Eliminating patients' race and ethnicity information is not the right way to address inequitable outcomes

Algorithms designed to guide medical care can contribute to racially inequitable outcomes, but eliminating information about patient race and ethnicity as an input to algorithms is not the right way to address the issue, according to new analysis from the RAND Corporation.

1 Aug 2022

Household overcrowding found to be a major risk factor for acute rheumatic fever and strep skin

Research led by the University of Otago in New Zealand has uncovered the strongest evidence yet that household overcrowding is a major risk factor for acute rheumatic fever and streptococcal infections of the skin.

7 Jul 2022

Despite doctors’ concerns, pharmacists get more leeway to offer treatment with testing

When Reyna or Justin Ansley or one of their three kids feels sick and needs to be tested for strep throat or flu, there's a good chance they'll head to their local pharmacy in Hemingford or Alliance, Nebraska. Dave Randolph, the proprietor of both locations of Dave's Pharmacy, can do a rapid test, give them medicine if they need it, and send them on their way.

31 Mar 2022

Stem cell infusion improves the survival of mice with sepsis

A one-time infusion of stem cells from bone marrow improves the survival of mice with sepsis, shows a study published today in eLife.

15 Feb 2022

Oral penicillin may be a safer option for people with high-risk rheumatic heart disease

A growing body of evidence indicates that some people thought to have an allergic response to injectable penicillin, the standard treatment for rheumatic heart disease, may instead be experiencing a cardiac reaction to the medicine, according to a new American Heart Association presidential advisory published today in Journal of the American Heart Association.

19 Jan 2022

How rural communities are losing their pharmacies

Batson's Drug Store seems like a throwback to a simpler time. The independently owned pharmacy in Howard, Kansas, still runs an old-fashioned soda counter and hand-dips ice cream. But the drugstore, the only one in the entire county, teeters on the edge between nostalgia and extinction.

15 Nov 2021

Penicillin can prevent progression of latent rheumatic heart disease in children

A regular, affordable antibiotic treatment significantly reduced the risk of underlying rheumatic heart disease progression in children and adolescents, according to a new study.

14 Nov 2021

Study finds dramatic decreases in antibiotic dispensing for children during the pandemic

As children made fewer visits to health facilities and engaged in social distancing and other COVID-19 mitigation measures, a smaller number of them also received prescription drugs, a new study suggests.

20 Jul 2021

How one rural town without a pharmacy is crowdsourcing to get meds

The building that once housed the last drugstore in this town of fewer than 600 is now a barbecue restaurant, where pit boss Larry Holtman dishes out smoked brisket and pulled pork across the same counter where pharmacists dispensed vital medications more than 30 years ago.

1 Jul 2021

Investment in primary prevention can reduce rheumatic heart disease in the African Union

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains a major cause of cardiovascular disease in Africa, even as acute rheumatic fever and RHD have become rare in high-income countries.

12 May 2021