Joseph Holzer, age 10, of Marquette, Mich., for his question:

HOW DOES A PERSON GET STREP THROAT?

Strep throat is an infectious disease that chiefly hits children from 5 to 15 years of age. Certain bacteria of a type called group A streptococcus cause a strep throat.

A person can get strep throat by direct contact with someone who has the disease or with a healthy carrier. In rare cases, strep throat bacteria may be spread in contaminated food.

Symptoms of strep throat include fever, sore throat, aching muscles and headache. If a patient has any of these symptoms, a doctor may take pus from a person's throat to make a culture. If the person does have strep throat, strep bacteria will grow in the culture and show up under a microscope.

Doctors use such drugs as penicillin and erythromycin to treat strep throat. Prompt treatment can keep the infection from spreading to the ears and sinuses.