In various areas of Italy, especially in the Center, pharmacies have been stormed for one abnormal spread of strep among the children. What is happening? Let’s find out the details.
Boom of strep infections among Italian children
According to reports from ‘Il Messaggero’, there is an increase in streptococcus infections among children in Italy, by more than 20% compared to last year.
Many widespread, according to pharmacists, also purchases of self test to diagnose bacterial infection. Although it is not easy to carry out in children, because with the test stick, in order for it to be reliable, children’s tonsils should be reached.
On average, in this period, at least ten tests are sold every day in Rome’s pharmacies, while last year the number was zero.
However, many children are healthy carriers of strep and, in this case, they should not take antibiotics at all.
Antonino Reale, pediatrician of the Institute for Health of the Bambino Gesù hospital, clarified, reassuring that there is no alarmism.
Streptococcus symptoms
Symptoms are:
- high fever;
- red throat;
- vomiting (not always);
- swollen lymph nodes in the neck;
- rarely otitis;
- rarely pneumonia;
- rarely tonsil abscesses;
- rarely scarlet fever.
Treatments for strep
In general streptococcus is particularly sensitive to penicillineven if it is sometimes necessary to add other substances at a therapeutic level, in the case of particularly resistant bacteria.
In small children, in case of pharyngeal infections or in the presence of scarlet fever, it is advisable to use antibioticsbecause they shorten the course of the disease.
To prevent it, you need to ventilate the rooms more and wash your hands often.