Sinus infections caused by strep??

in my last post I mentioned how my oldest Princess had a sinus infection about two weeks ago.. when they told me sinus infection not strep I was happy.. Then how on Friday she had all the symptoms of the sinus infection back.. ONLY while she had that, Sweet Pea had PANDAS stuff going around.. and as far as I can tell and see.. The only sick person Sweet Pea came in contact with was her older sister.. Now that Sweet Pea hasn't been around Princess in 5 days Sweet Pea is back to normal..

I would have put money on the fact that the Sinus infection was somehow strep related.. due to Sweet Pea's reaction..

Today I learned about something called strepococcus pneumoniae here is what it is.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae or "pneumococcus") is a bacterium commonly found in the nasopharynx (back of the nose) of healthy people. More than 90 serotypes of S. pneumoniae have been identified. Serotypes of pneumococcus are identified on the basis of differences in the polysaccharide (sugar) capsule of the organism. The presence of pneumococcus in the nasopharynx is referred to as "carriage". Most people have been carriers of S. pneumoniae at some point in their lives. Pneumococcal carriage is more common in young children, is usually transient and generally causes no illness. S. pneumoniae is an exclusively human pathogen and is spread from person-to-person by respiratory droplets, meaning that transmission generally occurs during coughing or sneezing to others within 6 feet of the carrier. Thus, carriers of S. pneumoniae, while generally healthy, are an important source of infection and disease for others.
Occasionally, S. pneumoniae will spread from the nasopharynx of a colonized person into other parts of the body and cause diseases, including otitis media (ear infections), sinusitis (sinus infections) and pneumonia (lung infections). In addition, S. pneumoniae can sometimes get into places in the body that are normally sterile (free of bacteria) including the blood, causing bacteremia, or the lining of the brain and spinal cord, causing meningitis. When pneumococci get into these sterile places in the body, it is called "invasive" pneumococcal disease. A relatively small number of serotypes of S. pneumoniae account for most invasive disease. Invasive pneumococcal infections can result in serious complications or death.


So when I was thinking Princess's sinus infection had to have something to do with strep that would trigger Sweet pea's body to build up antibodies which in return attacked her brain causing inflammation in the brain which brings on the PANDAS symptoms.... I think I was on to something there...

Now to figure out what to do about it.. ~sigh~
not only do I have to watch having her around people with sore throats which might be strep throat, I also have to worry about people with stuffy, runny noses and ear infections...
HOW IN THE WORLD do i keep my little girl safe?????????????????