“Let’s win one for the Gipper.” You might remember that line from the movie about the legendary Notre Dame Football coach Knute Rockne. George Gipp was a football player who died from, you guessed it, Strept throat. So what is it?

Strept throat is a throat infection caused by Group A, beta hemolytic Streptococcus. (Streptococcus pyogenes) Although many different bacteria or viruses can cause a sore throat, this one is especially bad because it produces toxins that can cause other problems as well. Namely, these include Peritonsillar abscesses, Post-Streptococcal glomerularnephritis, Scarlet fever and Rheumatic heart disease.

If you have a sore throat accompanied by fever, general malaise and muscle aches, go to the Doctor and get checked. Fortunately, it usually quite curable by the Penicillin antibiotics. Go before you end up with people saying, “Let’s win one for ______(insert your name here).”