Parents are being urged to be aware of the symptoms of scarlet fever after a rise in cases this winter. It comes as a fourth child has died in the UK after contracting Strep A, including a little girl in Penarth who died within hours of falling ill according to her heartbroken family.
The distinction between Strep A and scarlet fever is fairly simple. Highly contagious bacteria called group A streptococcus (Strep A, sometimes known as iGAS) can cause scarlet fever, as well as a range of other illnesses. Scarlet fever, sometimes known as scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by these bacteria. Symptoms are often mild, including a rash and a red face, but can become dangerous if left untreated.
READ MORE: Parents of little girl who died from Strep A infection issue beautiful tribute
It's important to be aware of the symptoms of scarlet fever and what to do if you think you, or your child, has it. There is no vaccine for scarlet fever so the best course of action is to get the appropriate treatment as soon as you think you've caught the illness.
We've put together a guide on everything you need to know, using the latest guidance from Public Health Wales and NHS 111 Wales:
What are the symptoms of scarlet fever?
Public Health Wales and NHS 111 has given a list of the most common symptoms of scarlet fever. These symptoms include:
- A widespread, fine pink-red rash that feels like sandpaper to touch
- High temperature
- Flushed face
- Red, swollen tongue or a white coating on the tongue which leaves it red, swollen, and covered in bumps
On white skin, the rash looks pink or red. It might be harder to see on brown or black skin but can still be felt.
Most cases of scarlet fever don’t cause serious complications, especially when treated properly. However these complications can occur in the early stages of the disease:
- Ear infection
- Throat abcesses
- Sinusitis
- Pneumonia
- Meningitis
It is possible that severe cases of scarlet fever can cause rheumatic fever, kidney damage, liver damage, bone infection, blood poisoning and toxic shock syndrome (which can be life threatening), but all these complications are very rare.
How can scarlet fever be caught and how infectious is it?
Scarlet fever is highly infectious. It can be caught via direct contact with an infected person, or through the air via droplets from coughing or sneezing.
It can be caught by people of any age, but it's more likely to affect children aged two to eight years old. This is because by 10 years old, most people have developed an immunity to the toxins produced by the streptococcus bacteria.
The disease is more common in the winter and spring.
How can scarlet fever be treated?
The good news is that treatment for scarlet fever is fairly straightforward. The disease can usually be treated with a 10-day course of penicillin antibiotics.
The antibiotics will usually make the fever disapper within 24 hours, and other symptoms within a few days. However it's important to take the full course of antibiotics to make sure the infection clears.
As well as being treated, it can be prevented - with good hand hygiene and following the “catch it, bin it, kill it” advice. There is no vaccine for scarlet fever.
What should I do if my child gets scarlet fever?
You should see your GP if you or your child has symptoms, doesn't get better in a week after a GP visit, gets ill again weeks after recovering from scarlet fever, or feels ill after contact with someone who has scarlet fever.
Your GP can either diagnose scarlet fever by looking at the tongue and rash, or by wiping a cotton bud around the back of the throat or organising a blood test.
As scarlet fever can be highly contagious, people who contract it should be kept away from others until they have been on a course of antibiotics for 24 hours.
You can relieve symptoms yourself by drinking cool fluids, eating soft foods, using calamine lotion or antihistamine tablets for itching, and taking age-appropriate painkillers like paracetamol.
Public Health Wales has issued advice to schools, nurseries, health boards and local authorities on what to do if there are multiple cases in one setting.
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