Scarlet fever...I'm writing a book?

My cousin and I are writing a book....the mom dies of scarlet fever...sad i know...we have done research and stuff...but can you explain it to me still? We know about the tounge,rash,skin peeling....but it (the website) says that it lasts 4-5 days then starts to go away and the face,neck,arms, legs start to peel.....then what? Does the skin just start to peel and...i don't know... can you plz help??

its in the early to mid 1800's period so it was common for them to die from it......ummm.......soo....thanks in advance for your posts

Hi,

I had scarlet fever when I was 19---that was about 16 years ago.

It wasn't that bad. I had strep throat at the time, and I had a rash at the same time.....I don't remember a lot about it, but, you can look it up on line. Now adays, most people do not go blind or die from scarlet fever.....it is just mild, and frequently missed when people have it along side strep throat.

Oh, I don't remember my skin peeling, but, if it did, it must not have been too bad.....I have skin now, no scars, but, after reading your post, I got thinking....I kind of remember being itchy like having a peeling sunburn appearance, and I had it in like February, 20 degree weather....so, maybe peeling.


(that's ok, I kind of figured it was from a different era, since it isn't as common now).

good luck to you though. I know there was a post recently asking about scarlet fever, and when I looked it up online, there WASN'T a lot of info out there.

The only thing I may be able to tell you, is that it frequently showed up from STREP, and since they didn't have the strep test or the antibiotics back then, or not the antibiotics we have now, Strep was fairly dangerous. Strep can lead to damage of many organs, and that could be part of the problem with Scarlet Fever.

The skin gets red, kind of prickly, I had it on my neck/torso, and extremities. I think my face too. It does peel like a sunburn.....not like leprosy...the skin don't j ust fall off.

If they aren't treated, the fever gets worse and worse, and with Strep itself, the fever is fairly high to begin with. So, after a few days, the person would be dehydrated, and the kidneys would start to shut down, and, the brain would be getting damaged, and the blood pressure would be horrible. By day 5, most likely, they would be dead from a high fever.

(coming from my medical experience)

I looked it up online....took a while, but, yes. ADULTS do get it, and they DID get it then too. It frequently also led to Toxic Shock Syndrome back then (same symptoms as what we know it to have today, but, different cause---still a systemic septic infection).

They also mention the "strawberry tongue" that happens around day 7. I had this......whitish, with bumps that are red all over it.

The web site explained alot like I did about the scarlet fever....that it came along with strep and similiar infections, and without the antibiotics, it causes numerous deaths. It is airbourne transmittable as far as being contageous.

But, yes, a 40 year old mother COULD get it.

It starts as some more mild vires, usally strep, then you find a rash about a week later, and get a really high fever and then sometimes you get a migrain, and sometimes you lose your voice for about a day. Tell me when your book is published!

I had Scarlet Fever when I was in H.S. I remember turning very red and feeling hot and like I was gonna faint. I went up to the teacher and she immediately sent me to the nurse. I was really out of it after I went to the doctor. He gave me Codeine, and I slept for like 23 hours straight. I stayed in bed for days, and my boyfriend did everything for me. Fed me, gave me my medicine, read to me. He even cleaned my back, face and arms with cotton balls. I think he did this because I was peeling, but I don't remember. That was so long ago. I slept quite a lot during this illness, and remember being "very sick" during it.