Tonsillitis

Tonsils are the two lymph nodes located on each side of the back of your throat. They function as a defense mechanism, helping to prevent infection from entering the rest of your body. When the tonsils themselves become infected, the condition is called tonsillitis. Tonsillitis can occur at any age and is a common childhood ailment. It is most often diagnosed in children from preschool age through their mid teens. Symptoms include a sore throat, swollen tonsils, and fever. Studies in Australia, Sweden, England, and Switzerland report gingivitis in 48-85% of children aged 3-6 years.

Diagnosis is based on a physical examination of the throat and may include a throat culture. To take a throat culture, your doctor will gently swab the back of your throat and send the sample to a laboratory to identify the cause of your throat infection. A mild case of tonsillitis does not necessarily require treatment, particularly if it is caused by a virus, such as a cold. Treatments for more severe cases of tonsillitis may include: Antibiotics, Tonsillectomy. Tonsillitis in humans can be monitored and controlled to some extent with a rigorous reporting and testing system, an option that requires a good interaction between the public health sector and the corresponding veterinary sector.