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Streptococcus pyogenes at 900x magnification

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I chose Streptococcus pyogenes for my human pathogen project due to acquiring strep throat many times in my childhood and even a few times in my adulthood.

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S. pyogenes is the bacteria that causes strep throat in humans.

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Strep throat is a disease that can affect people of all ages. It is most common in children between the ages of 5 and 15, due to their increased likelihood to be in close contact with more people at school.

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Strep throat symptoms are largely localized to the throat, however headaches or occasionally vomiting can also be associated with the disease.

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Like many other human diseases, prevention of strep throat can be practiced by washing hands frequently. Avoiding drinking after others or sharing utensils can also prevent strep throat.

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Strep throat is very treatable through the use of antibiotics. Penicillin or amoxicillin are used and are highly effective, causing the infected person to no longer be contagious only 24 hours after treatment begins.

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Some viral infections share many symptoms with strep throat, although the absence of coughing is often a key distinguisher of strep throat.

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Strep throat cases dropped significantly surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic due to increased disease prevention precautions.

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Strep throat is a highly contagious disease. It can be acquired through many different means. It can be acquired by inhaling respiratory droplets of an infected person after they talk, cough, or sneeze. It can be acquired by direct contact with saliva of an infected person, such as sharing a drink or utensils. It can also be acquired by surface contamination where S. pyogenes can survive for short periods outside of the body and be brought to the mouth, nose, or eyes after touching the contaminated surface.