Scarlet Fever/Scarlatina

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Scarlet Fever/Scarlatina

Scarlet fever, or scarlatina, is an illness caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus. This is the same bacterial infection that causes strep throat. Strep bacteria that causes scarlet fever spreads from one person to another by fluids from the mouth and nose. If an infected person coughs or sneezes, the bacteria can become airborne, or the bacteria may be present on things the person touches — a drinking glass or a doorknob. If you're in proximity to an infected person, you may inhale airborne bacteria. If you touch something an infected person has touched and then touch your own nose or mouth, you could pick up the bacteria.

The incubation period — the time between exposure and illness — is usually two to four days. If scarlet fever isn't treated, a person may be contagious for a few weeks even after the illness itself has passed.

Symptoms of Scarlet Fever include a red, raised, sandpaper-like rash covering most of the body, red lines (Pastia's lines) in folds of skin around the groin, armpits, elbows, knees and neck, a strawberry-like appearance of the tongue, a high fever often with chills, difficulty swallowing, nausea and vomiting, and headache.

Scarlet fever rarely affects people older than 18 and is most common in children 5 to 15 years of age. Although scarlet fever was once considered a serious childhood illness, antibiotic treatments have made it less threatening.

Talk to your doctor if your child has any one of the following signs or symptoms:
•   A sore throat with a fever
•   A fever of 102 F (38.9 C) or higher (100 F for infants 6 months old or younger)
•   A sore throat that doesn't get better within 24 to 48 hours
•   A sore throat with swollen or tender glands in the neck
•   A rash
•   Difficulty swallowing or opening his or her mouth all the way

Your doctor will conduct an exam to determine the cause of your child's sore throat, rash and other symptoms. If your doctor suspects strep he will perform a throat culture. Tthe results may take as long as two days. Your doctor may also order a rapid antigen test, sometimes called a rapid strep test, which can detect foreign proteins (antigens) associated with strep bacteria infection. This test can be completed during a visit to your doctor's office. This test is less reliable than a throat culture. If a rapid antigen test is negative, your doctor will probably order the throat culture to ensure an accurate diagnosis.

If your child has scarlet fever, your doctor will likely prescribe an antibiotic medication. Make sure your child completes the full course of prescribed antibiotics as directed by your physician, even when your child is feeling better. Failure to follow the treatment guidelines may not completely eradicate the infection and will increase your child's risk of developing post-strep disorders such as:
•   Rheumatic fever - an inflammatory disease that can affect the heart, joints, skin and nervous system.
•   Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis - an inflammation of the kidneys that results from certain byproducts of strep bacteria infection. This disorder may cause long-term kidney disease.

If your child isn't feeling better within 24 to 48 hours after starting the medication, call your doctor.

Your child will no longer be contagious after 24 hours on antibiotics and can return to school when he or she is feeling better and no longer has a fever.

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