Be familiar with the purpose of a throat culture. The primary purpose of performing a throat culture is to determine whether a throat infection is viral or bacterial. The bacteria that cause strep throat, Streptococcus pyogenes (also known as group A streptococcus) is highly contagious and are easily passed between people.[2]
People are susceptible to the bacteria from airborne droplets from coughing and sneezing, shared food and drink, and even from surfaces such as door knobs and handles by transferring them from the surface to your skin, nose, mouth, or eyes.
Strep throat can occur any time but most often in the late fall and early spring. Strep is most often seen in children between the ages of five and fifteen.