Causes
Scarlet fever is caused by the bacteria Streptococcus (Group A), which is spread by sneezing and coughing. If your child has scarlet fever, he’ll only be infectious for 1-2 days if adequately treated. But the infection might last 10-21 days if it’s not treated.
Symptoms
Scarlet fever symptoms vary greatly between children. The most common symptoms are a sudden onset of a mildly sore throat, swollen and tender lymph glands in the neck, a high fever, vomiting, and a characteristic rash covering the whole body. The rash consists of tiny red spots and often looks sunburned and roughened (like sandpaper). Your child’s tongue might also turn bright red (sometimes referred to as ‘strawberry tongue’).
Complications of scarlet fever are now very rare, because the infection can be effectively treated with antibiotics.
Treatment
Your doctor will probably use antibiotics from the penicillin group to treat scarlet fever. Other antibiotics can be used if your child is allergic to penicillin.
