Key takeaways:
Adults can get strep throat. Adults who live or work with school-age children are more likely to get strep throat.
Adults with sore throat are more likely to have a viral infection than strep throat. But you should get tested for strep throat if you’re around school-age children or get exposed to someone with strep throat.
Adults who have strep throat need treatment with antibiotics to cure the infection and prevent more serious infections and complications.
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Strep throat is a common type of bacterial throat infection. As a kid, you probably remember getting checked for strep throat when you came down with a sore throat. But now that you’re an adult, do you really need to go to a doctor’s office every time you have a sore throat?
As you get older, you’re more likely to have a sore throat from a virus than from strep. But adults can get strep throat. And this is one of the few times that antibiotics are needed to cure a sore throat.
Strep throat often goes away by itself in 3 to 5 days. But, without antibiotic treatment, strep throat can lead to more serious infections and health problems, like an abscess in the back of the throat. So, antibiotic treatment helps you feel better faster and keeps you from developing more serious health complications.
Can adults get strep throat?
Yes, adults can get strep throat. But it isn’t common. Studies show only 5% to 15% of adults who have a sore throat end up having strep throat. But certain adults are much more likely to come down with strep throat. These people have a higher chance of testing positive for strep throat when they have a sore throat.
Adults at higher risk for strep include:
Young adults who attend college and/or live in dormitories
Adults who live or work with children between the ages of 5 and 15
Older adults who live in group settings, like long-term care or residential facilities
Pregnant or postpartum women
If you fall into one of these groups and you develop symptoms of strep throat (listed below), you should get tested.
What are strep throat symptoms in adults?
The symptoms of strep throat in adults include:
Sore throat
Pain with swallowing
Red spots on the back of the throat
White discharge or pus at the back of the throat
Fever
Swollen or tender neck lymph nodes
How long are you contagious with strep throat? After starting antibiotics, you’re contagious with strep for another 12 to 24 hours. Learn more about how to stop the spread.
Recurring strep throat: Some people get strep throat over and over again. Learn why that may happen and what you can do to prevent it.
How to relieve strep throat pain: Beyond taking antibiotics, here are some self-care remedies for strep that can help relieve your symptoms.
Symptoms usually start suddenly. People don't typically experience a cough, runny nose, or watery eyes when they have strep throat.
When should adults see a healthcare professional if they think they have strep throat?
If you’re experiencing symptoms that could be strep, here’s when to see a healthcare professional:
You develop a sore throat after being around someone who was recently diagnosed with or treated for strep throat.
You have a sore throat and you’re part of a group that's at higher risk for developing strep throat (listed above).
You develop a very severe sore throat or a fever along with a sore throat. These symptoms may be due to strep throat or a viral infection, like COVID-19 or the flu (influenza).
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A healthcare professional will do a rapid strep test to see if you have strep throat. To do this test, they’ll swab the back of your throat and then test the sample in their office. You’ll know the results in a few minutes.
How do you treat strep throat in adults?
Antibiotics treat strep throat. In fact, this is one of the few times you actually need to take antibiotics for a sore throat.
The most commonly used antibiotics are amoxicillin and penicillin. The usual doses for these medications are found in the table below.
Medication | Dosage | Times per day | How long to take |
|---|---|---|---|
Amoxicillin | 1,000 mg (or 500 mg) | 1 time (or 2 times) | 10 days |
Penicillin | 500 mg (or 250 mg) | 2 times (or 4 times) | 10 days |
There’s also a form of penicillin that comes as a one-time injection. If you think you won’t be able to finish all 10 days of antibiotics, talk with your healthcare team about the injection form of penicillin.
If you have a penicillin allergy, you’ll need to take a different antibiotic. Some other options are found in the table below.
Medication | Dosage | Times per day | How long to take |
|---|---|---|---|
Cephalexin (Keflex) | 500 mg | 2 times | 10 days |
Clindamycin (Cleocin) | 300 mg | 3 times | 10 days |
Azithromycin (Zithromax) | 500 mg | 1 time | 5 days |
Clarithromycin (Biaxin) | 250 mg | 2 times | 10 days |
Antibiotics will keep you safe from strep complications and will prevent you from passing strep on to other people. But they won’t help you feel better that much faster. Studies show that antibiotics only shorten illness by about 1 day. But there are some over-the-counter (OTC) and home remedies to help relieve your symptoms.
How is strep throat transmitted?
Strep throat is caused by a type of bacteria called group A Streptococcus. This type of bacteria spreads from person to person through direct contact with saliva and respiratory droplets. People release the bacteria when they cough, sneeze, or blow their nose. So, you can pick up the bacteria that causes strep throat if you come into contact with these respiratory droplets.
You can also come in contact with group A Streptococcus by sharing toothbrushes, utensils, and cups — or anything else that touches your mouth. This type of bacteria doesn’t live on surfaces very long. So, it’s unlikely that you’ll come into contact with the bacteria from touching objects or surfaces.
Quiz: Do I have strep throat?
Frequently asked questions
Viruses cause most sore throats. But, unlike sore throat from a virus, strep throat doesn’t usually come with the other symptoms of a cold or flu. So, if you also have a stuffy nose and a cough, a virus is most likely the cause of your sore throat.
Beyond noting your other symptoms, a healthcare professional will also consider your age, potential exposures, and the time of year. They can run a rapid strep test to be sure.
Yes, you can get strep throat even if you don’t have tonsils. A healthcare professional may recommend that you get your tonsils removed (tonsillectomy) if you get frequent throat infections. This is because group A Streptococcus can live on the tonsils. A tonsillectomy may lower your chances of getting throat infections, but you can still get strep without tonsils.
Recurring strep throat — or getting strep throat over and over again — can happen for a few different reasons, including:
Incomplete antibiotic treatment
New exposure to group A Streptococcus bacteria
A weakened immune system
It’s possible to get strep over and over again if a family member or other close contact is a “strep carrier.” In these cases, the person might not have many symptoms, but they remain contagious. Talk to a healthcare professional if you suspect this could be happening to you.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a strep vaccine to be a top research priority. But strep vaccines are difficult to develop because there are many different strains of strep. An effective vaccine would need to prevent all or most of them. Some strains can trigger autoimmune reactions in certain people, so a vaccine would need to avoid that risk. Plus, the bacteria that cause strep throat grow much better in humans than in other animals. That means vaccines against strep throat are difficult to study in a laboratory.
Viruses cause most sore throats. But, unlike sore throat from a virus, strep throat doesn’t usually come with the other symptoms of a cold or flu. So, if you also have a stuffy nose and a cough, a virus is most likely the cause of your sore throat.
Beyond noting your other symptoms, a healthcare professional will also consider your age, potential exposures, and the time of year. They can run a rapid strep test to be sure.
Yes, you can get strep throat even if you don’t have tonsils. A healthcare professional may recommend that you get your tonsils removed (tonsillectomy) if you get frequent throat infections. This is because group A Streptococcus can live on the tonsils. A tonsillectomy may lower your chances of getting throat infections, but you can still get strep without tonsils.
Recurring strep throat — or getting strep throat over and over again — can happen for a few different reasons, including:
Incomplete antibiotic treatment
New exposure to group A Streptococcus bacteria
A weakened immune system
It’s possible to get strep over and over again if a family member or other close contact is a “strep carrier.” In these cases, the person might not have many symptoms, but they remain contagious. Talk to a healthcare professional if you suspect this could be happening to you.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a strep vaccine to be a top research priority. But strep vaccines are difficult to develop because there are many different strains of strep. An effective vaccine would need to prevent all or most of them. Some strains can trigger autoimmune reactions in certain people, so a vaccine would need to avoid that risk. Plus, the bacteria that cause strep throat grow much better in humans than in other animals. That means vaccines against strep throat are difficult to study in a laboratory.
The bottom line
Adults do get strep throat, but not as often as children get it. Adults who live or work with school-age children and those who live in group settings are more likely to get strep throat. If you think you could have strep throat, see a healthcare professional for a strep test.
If you have strep throat, getting treatment with antibiotics will cure your strep throat. Antibiotics also keep you from developing health complications. Amoxicillin and penicillin are the most commonly used antibiotics to treat strep throat.
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References
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). About strep throat.
Coutinho, G., et al. (2020). Worldwide comparison of treatment guidelines for sore throat. The International Journal of Clinical Practice.
Martin, J. (2022). Chapter 18: The carrier state of Streptococcus pyogenes. Streptococcus pyogenes: Basic Biology to Clinical Manifestations 2nd edition.
Mustafa, Z., et al. (2020). Diagnostic methods, clinical guidelines, and antibiotic treatment for group A Streptococcal pharyngitis: A narrative review. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology.
Shulman, S. T., et al. (2012). Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and management of group A Streptococcal pharyngitis: 2012 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Tannenbaum, E. (2023). Peritonsillar abscess (PTA) Management. Iowa Head and Neck Protocols.
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Streptococcus pyogenes.
