Sore throat in children: its causation and incidence.

Beta-haemolytic streptococci were isolated from 35% of 525 children who presented to their family doctors with sore throat. The first 306 were investigated bacteriologically and virologically and beta-haemolytic streptococci were isolated from 30% and viruses from 14.7%. The ages which had the highest incidence of sore throat, for both sexes, were 7, then 6, 8, and 5. Those with tonsils had a higher incidence of beta-haemolytic streptococci than those without, but the presence or absence of tonsils made no difference to the degree of growth of the streptococci.Viruses were isolated predominantly during the winter months, but streptococci, though mostly isolated in winter, were isolated throughout the rest of the year.