How long must a child with strep throat stay out of school?

A child diagnosed with strep throat should stay out of school for at least 24 hours after starting appropriate antibiotic treatment. This guideline is based on the principle that after 24 hours of antibiotics, the child is usually no longer contagious and is likely to feel better, reducing the risk of spreading the infection to others in a school environment.

This timeframe ensures the safety and health of both the recovering child and their classmates, as strep throat is a bacterial infection that can be easily transmitted. Returning to school too soon could lead to further infections in other children, hence the importance of adhering to the 24-hour rule.

The other options suggest longer periods of exclusion that are not necessary once adequate treatment has begun and the child is symptom-free after 24 hours.