It is diagnosed by a blood test. Signs and symptoms include fatigue, fever, sore throat and enlarged lymph nodes. Generally, the patient presents with a history of fatigue, fever, and general ill-feeling for over a week. The fatigue is the worst in the first two to three weeks of the illness, with a fever peaking most afternoons and evenings. Since this is a viral infection, antibiotics will not help.
Treatment is generally supportive, including rest.
For more information and appropriate diagnosis and treatment, see your doctor. It is characterized by an extremely sore throat and a thin whitish membrane on the back of mouth at the base of the throat. Step throat is also characterized by a very high fever and pain on swallowing. A diagnosis can be made by performing a rapid strep test. Strep throat is treated with antibiotics and symptoms should improve within a couple of days.