thanks for any help and like i said, please include your sources. Scarlet fever is caused by an infection with group A streptococcus bacteria. The bacteria make a toxin (poison) that can cause the scarlet-colored rash from which this illness gets its name.
Not all streptococci bacteria make this toxin and not all kids are sensitive to it. Two kids in the same family may both have strep infections, but one child (who is sensitive to the toxin) may develop the rash of scarlet fever while the other may not. Usually, if a child has this scarlet rash and other symptoms of strep throat, it can be treated with antibiotics. So if your child has these symptoms, it's important to call your doctor.
Symptoms of Scarlet Fever
The rash is the most striking sign of scarlet fever. It usually begins looking like a bad sunburn with tiny bumps and it may itch. The rash usually appears first on the neck and face, often leaving a clear unaffected area around the mouth. It spreads to the chest and back, then to the rest of the body. In body creases, especially around the underarms and elbows, the rash forms classic red streaks. Areas of rash usually turn white when you press on them. By the sixth day of the infection the rash usually fades, but the affected skin may begin to peel.
Aside from the rash, there are usually other symptoms that help to confirm a diagnosis of scarlet fever, including a reddened sore throat, a fever above 101掳 Fahrenheit (38.3掳 Celsius), and swollen glands in the neck. The tonsils and back of the throat may be covered with a whitish coating, or appear red, swollen, and dotted with whitish or yellowish specks of pus. Early in the infection, the tongue may have a whitish or yellowish coating. A child with scarlet fever also may have chills, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
When scarlet fever occurs because of a throat infection, the fever typically stops within 3 to 5 days, and the sore throat passes soon afterward. The scarlet fever rash usually fades on the sixth day after sore throat symptoms began, but skin that was covered by rash may begin to peel. This peeling may last 10 days. With antibiotic treatment, the infection itself is usually cured with a 10-day course of antibiotics, but it may take a few weeks for tonsils and swollen glands to return to normal.
In rare cases, scarlet fever may develop from a streptococcal skin infection like impetigo. In these cases, the child may not get a sore throat.
Preventing Scarlet Fever
The bacterial infection that causes scarlet fever is contagious. A child who has scarlet fever can spread the bacteria to others through nasal and throat fluids by sneezing and coughing. If a child has a skin infection caused by strep bacteria, like impetigo, it can be passed through contact with the skin.
In everyday life, there is no perfect way to avoid the infections that cause scarlet fever. When a child is sick at home, it's always safest to keep that child's drinking glasses and eating utensils separate from those of other family members, and to wash these items thoroughly in hot soapy water. Wash your own hands frequently as you care for a child with a strep infection.
Treating Scarlet Fever
If your child has a rash and the doctor suspects scarlet fever, he or she will usually take a throat culture (a painless swab of throat secretions) to see if the bacteria grow in the laboratory. Once a strep infection is confirmed, the doctor will likely prescribe an antibiotic for your child to be taken for about 10 days.
Caring for a Child With Scarlet Fever
A child with severe strep throat may find that eating is painful, so providing soft foods or a liquid diet may be necessary. Include soothing teas and warm nutritious soups, or cool soft drinks, milkshakes, and ice cream. Make sure that the child drinks plenty of fluids.
Use a cool-mist humidifier to add moisture to the air, since this will help soothe the sore throat. A moist warm towel may help to soothe swollen glands around your child's neck.
If the rash itches, make sure that your child's fingernails are trimmed short so skin isn't damaged through scratching.
When to Call the Doctor
Call the doctor whenever your child suddenly develops a rash, especially if it is accompanied by a fever, sore throat, or swollen glands. This is especially important if your child has any of the symptoms of strep throat, or if someone in your family or in your child's school has recently had a strep infection.
it is a long answer but hope it helps you it can be caugt just lie any other sickness and iam not shur if infetionest or not its not very prevelent any more What Is Scarlet Fever?
Scarlet fever is one of those childhood diseases that have been tamed by antibiotics. Once it was a common and deadly illness. Today it is rare and easily managed -- if recognized and treated.
The disease occurs mostly in children between the ages of 2 and 10 years. It's caused by infection with group A streptococcal bacteria - the same bacteria that causes strep throat. Symptoms typically appear three days after exposure to another person with the illness, although this incubation period can be anywhere from one to seven days.
Scarlet fever typically starts with a very high fever of up to 104 degrees F and a sore throat. These early symptoms are followed by nausea, vomiting, headache, and abdominal pain. Twelve hours to two days later a distinctive scarlet rash appears -- first on the neck and chest and then all over the body. The rash feels like sandpaper. In areas of skin folds -- the armpits and the creases at the elbows and the groin -- the rash has a bright red color. The tongue also becomes swollen and turns bright red. After three days the rash and fever usually disappear, but the tongue may remain swollen for several more days.
As the rash fades, there may be peeling around the tips of the fingers and toes and in the groin area.
CAUTION! - Seek Treatment
Unlike certain other childhood diseases such as rubella and measles, scarlet fever cannot be left to run its course. It must be treated or it can lead to arthritis, jaundice (yellow tint to the skin that's indicative of red blood cell damage or liver problems), kidney problems, and rheumatic fever (inflammation of the joints and heart valves).
What Causes It?
Scarlet fever is a contagious infection that is caused by streptococcal bacteria. It is spread by contact with an infected person or inhalation of the bacteria. Once inside the pharynx or throat, the bacteria multiply and produce a toxin that circulates in the blood and causes the symptoms. |
