What Is Strep Throat?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
9. Contagiousness
The streptococcus bacterium is an airborne pathogen, and is mostly spread when people sneeze and cough. It is highly contagious, and can be picked up by inhaling the pathogen directly, or by transferring it from objects such as cutlery and contaminated surfaces. It is most common in children, and this is largely because children tend to stay quite close together in groups, especially when at school.
One way of helping to prevent the spread of the disease is to wash items and surfaces regularly, and try to avoid having children share food and drinks. The bacterium remains dormant for 1-5 days before symptoms show, but it is still contagious during this time.
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