What’s Going Around: Strep throat, pink eye

UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics in York and Spring Grove report strep throat and viral illness this week.

This week, pediatricians at Penn State Health are seeing a lot of colds, allergies, bug bites and some poison ivy. They are still seeing some low numbers of respiratory viruses like COVID and RSV.

WellSpan Pediatric Medicine Physicians across the Midstate are seeing kids for camp physicals this week.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Physicians Roseville Pediatrics reports an increase in cases of pink eye. They are still seeing high numbers of strep throat in addition to enterovirus and adenovirus. They also saw an increase in outdoor health issues, including tick bites and sunburn.

Dr. Joan Thode offered the following advice:

“Strep, enterovirus, and adenovirus can cause a sore throat that may have white spots on the tonsils, as well as fever and belly pain. Adenovirus can also have a component of viral pink eye where the eyes appear red and tearing, whereas strep does not typically affect the eyes. As its name suggests, adenovirus is a virus and therefore has no treatment. It typically resolves in five to seven days.

Enterovirus is a particularly mean virus that can cause an array of symptoms that can include congestion/runny nose, sore throat sometimes with mouth sores, nausea, vomiting, belly pain, extreme fatigue, cough, muscle soreness or general achiness, headaches, and fever. Neck stiffness can occur and can mimic meningitis. In asthmatics, enterovirus can cause wheezing and asthma attacks with tight chest and difficulty breathing.

As with all viruses, treatment for adenovirus and enterovirus includes methods to support the patient through the illness, as antibiotics do not work against viruses. The course of most acute viruses can last from four to seven days, sometimes with a gradual recovery. The main treatments are pain relief and hydration. Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are the mainstays of comfort treatment, and hydration is the primary goal. The mouth sores can make hydration difficult as the pain makes kids want to avoid swallowing. Chilling water and providing low-acidity cold or frozen treats like slushies can help prevent dehydration from a sore throat.

Strep throat, on the other hand, is caused by a bacteria and needs to be treated with an antibiotic. A throat culture and in-person exam helps differentiate the causes of sore throats, therefore sore throats should be evaluated by a physician’s office.”

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