Hello, I'm a healthcare professional with a background in infectious diseases. Let's discuss your question about strep throat.
Strep throat is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes. While the body's immune system can sometimes fight off the infection without treatment, it's not guaranteed to go away on its own. **Untreated strep throat can lead to complications**, such as rheumatic fever or kidney inflammation. It's also highly contagious, so without treatment, a person can continue to spread the infection to others.
The standard treatment for strep throat is a course of antibiotics, which are effective at killing the bacteria and reducing the risk of complications. Even if symptoms improve without antibiotics, the bacteria can still be present and contagious. Therefore, it's important to complete the full course of antibiotics as prescribed by a healthcare provider.
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