What is scarlet fever?
Scarlet fever, sometimes called scarlatina, is a disease caused by a bacteria called group A Streptococcus or “group A strep”, the same bacteria that causes strep throat. Scarlet fever is a rash that sometimes occurs in people that have strep throat. People with scarlet fever typically also have a high fever and a strawberry-like appearance of the tongue. The rash of scarlet fever is usually seen in children under the age of 18. Back to Top How do you get scarlet fever? This illness can be caught from contact with the sick person because this germ is carried in the mouth and nasal fluids. The disease can be spread through contact with droplets shed when an infected person coughs or sneezes. If you touch your mouth, nose, or eyes after touching something that has these fluids on them, you may become ill. Also, if you drink from the same glass or eat from the same plate as the sick person, you could also become ill. The best way to keep from getting sick is to wash your hands often and a
Scarlet fever is an incredibly infectious condition. The infection still exists, but is nowhere near as common as it once was. This is due to the medicines that are given, usually to children, in order to combat the infection. Scarlet fever is caused by bacteria called haemolytic streptococci. It occurs after throat or skin conditions such as strep throat. Strep infections are commonly treated with antibiotics that also combat scarlet fever. Also known by the name scarletina, scarlet fever most commonly occurs in children between the ages of four and eight years old. However, people of any age can catch scarlet fever. The infection is airborne, which means that it can be passed through the air by way of bacteria in sneezes and coughs. Although the infection is very contagious, the illness that occurs if infected is usually very mild. Symptoms of scarlet fever present themselves within two to four days of becoming infected. Scarlet fever symptoms often begin with a sore throat. The main
