What is a strep A test?
Strep A, also known as group A strep, is a type of bacteria that causes strep throat and other infections. Strep throat is an infection that affects the throat and tonsils. The infection is spread from person to person through coughing or sneezing. While you can get strep throat at any age, it's most common in children 5 to 15 years old.
Strep throat can be easily treated with antibiotics. But left untreated, strep throat can lead to serious complications. These include rheumatic fever, a disease that can damage the heart and joints, and glomerulonephritis, a type of kidney disease.
Strep A tests check for strep A infections. There are two types of strep A tests:
Rapid strep test. This test looks for antigens to strep A. Antigens are substances that cause an immune response. A rapid strep test can provide results in 10–20 minutes. If a rapid test is negative, but your provider thinks you or your child has strep throat, he or she may order a throat culture.
Throat culture. This test looks for strep A bacteria. It provides a more accurate diagnosis than a rapid test, but it can take 24–48 hours to get results.
Other names: strep throat test, throat culture, group A streptococcus (GAS) throat culture, rapid strep test, streptococcus pyogenes
