Selected Podcast

Is it Strep or Just a Sore Throat?

We all dread getting that letter sent home that someone in the class has strep.

It often means your child is next.

The terms sore throat, strep throat, and tonsillitis often are used interchangeably, but they don't mean the same thing.

Tonsillitis refers to tonsils that are inflamed. Strep throat is an infection caused by a specific type of bacteria, Streptococcus.

When your child has a strep throat, the tonsils are usually very inflamed, and the inflammation may affect the surrounding part of the throat as well.
Is it Strep or Just a Sore Throat?
Featuring:
Dr. Mary Anne Jackson, MD
Mary Anne Jackson picDr. Jackson obtained her medical degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati where she was recognized with the Samuel Dalinsky Memorial Award as the outstanding graduating resident. She then completed her infectious diseases fellowship training at the University of Texas-Southwestern completing an additional year of research in the laboratory of Eric Hansen, PhD. Board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases, she has been a member of the faculty at Children's Mercy Hospital & Clinics since 1984 where she is Section Chief in Infectious Diseases and the Associate Chair for Community and Regional Physician Collaboration. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the Infectious Disease Society of America and a member of the American Pediatric Society. She has served on the editorial boards of Healthy Kids, Concise Reviews in Pediatric Infectious Diseases and is a current member of the editorial board of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal. She currently is the medical editor for the infectious diseases subboard for the American Board of Pediatrics and a member of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases (Red Book Committee). She has authored over 100 peer reviewed publications and book chapters. Dr. Jackson's research focuses on strategies to reduce the incidence of hospital acquired infection, treatment of antibiotic resistant infection and vaccine implementation and education.