Strep throat is still going around

JACKSONVILLE, Fla – It's a busy week for local doctors. They're treating a lot of patients for strep throat and the flu is resurfacing in some local counties even though flu season is pretty much over.

In Duval County, at CareSpot on the Southside, doctors are treating allergies.  A viral cold, with a sore throat, mild fever of about 99 degrees is affecting mainly adults. They're also not seeing a lot of flu here, just a case every couple of days.

In St Johns County, at Healing Arts Urgent Care, they're busy with lots of allergy complaints, sinus infections and skin infections.  Doctors say when you have a wound use soap and water and then keep it covered so it doesn't get infected.

Strep throat has been going around for a few weeks now in every county and it is highly contagious. Once it starts it can move through a community quickly.  But not all sore throats are strep throats. Most episodes of sore throat, which are with accompanied by a runny nose, cough, hoarseness, and red eyes, are caused by viruses and usually clear up on their own without medical treatment.

If it's strep you might develop a fever, a fiery sore throat, swollen and inflamed tonsillitis, swollen and tender lymph nodes on the sides of the upper neck and those classic white patches or spots on the tonsils and tongue.

When it comes to kids and strep throat, doctors at Healing Arts Urgent Care said they see a lot of patients without your common symptoms.  Kids one to four years old might not even have a sore throat.  Their symptoms might include a fever of more than 102 and nausea.  Again , strep throat is very contagious so it's important to teach kids to wash their hands. Good hygiene can lessen their chances of getting contagious diseases like strep throat.