ABSTRACT
Tonsillitis is caused by viral and bacterial infections. Viral infections are usually part of a generalised upper-respiratory infection. The bacterial infections are caused by a variety of organisms including streptococci, staphylococci and Haemophilus influenzae. In the past, before the discovery of antibiotics, streptococcal throat infections were of particular importance as they were prone to cause complications including scarlet fever, rheumatic fever and inflammatory conditions of the kidneys causing renal failure. In the era following discovery of antibiotics, these conditions and their complications have become uncommon.
