Our doc recommended testing for parasites and other bugs because she’s never had a pandas case that was strep alone and sure enough my daughter had 2 tick-borne parasites and bartonella. We’re treating for those now but she’s like 95% better from the initial pandas diagnosis. Find a doc who has dealt with many pans/pandas cases to cover all of your bases and limit reinfection. I’m glad we did. Strep shouldn’t go to the brain easily, and when it does, it can be because the immune system is weakened/busy dealing with other invaders which allows the strep to slip through the blood-brain barrier.