A tonsil infection is an infection of the tonsils causing a sore throat. There are many germs that can cause a tonsil infection. These include bacteria, viruses and others. Unfortunately we have no good means of treating viral infections of the tonsils. Viral infections need to run their course. A strep is a bacteria really called streptococcus. Strep is readily treatable with antibiotics.If an individual has a sore throat, a throat culture or strep test is usually done to try to tell if the infection is treatable with antibiotics. There is no way to know for sure if a tonsil or throat infection is strep by simply looking at it. So, actually, a strep throat is the same thing as a tonsil infection (tonsillitis) when the germ is a strep. Even if the tonsils have been removed you can still have a strep throat. That occurs when the strep germ infects the lining of the back of the throat. Strep throat is not necessarily more painful than a viral throat infection. Both can cause fever.