We talked to health care providers at the Avera Clinic of Ellendale, North Dakota. Certified Physicians Assistant Valerie Martin at the Avera Clinic there says they've seen your run-of-the-mill stomach flu, head colds and sinus infections, but strep throat seemed to do a number on a lot of kids throats and skin before the Christmas break.

Doctors in Ellendale have been looking at a lot of this, red infected strep throat caused by the bacteria Streptococcus. It's accompanied by a high fever, swollen glands and tonsils and a really sore throat.  Unlike the cold or flu virus... strep can be treated with antibiotics because it's a bacteria.

Valerie Martin, PA-C with Avera Clinic of Ellendale says, "We also saw a lot of impetigo with kids who had strep throat and they may be somewhat interrelated . It's a skin infection that turns red and rapidly spreads and becomes yellow and crusty."

The Physicians Assistant says this skin infection is also caused by either strep or staff bacteria. She says impetigo is typically confined to one area of the body and can be treated with a topical antibiotic.

Martin says, "It's highly infectious especially in elementary grades or with athletes put it's really curtailed the last couple of weeks while kids were away from each other during their break."

She says they have not seen any cases of influenza in the Ellendale area yet and she credits the flu shot.  She said they had a really great response from folks there to get vaccinated (from kids in school to the elderly) and she says it looks like it's working.

For more information go to www.avera.org