Scarlet fever

Scarlet fever is a bacterial infection that results in a characteristic red skin rash. It is caused by the same bacteria that cause strep throat and frequently occurs with strep throat.
Streptococci bacteria can invade the body and cause throat inflammation and strep throat. Some of these cases also develop into scarlet fever, which may also include a rash, fever and enlarged tongue. The symptoms of scarlet fever develop quickly, only a day or two after exposure to the bacteria.
Scarlet fever is passed through fluids of the nose and mouth, often by coughing, sneezing or having direct contact with an infected person. Scarlet fever can occur at any age, but is most common among children, who spread it readily in schools and daycare centers.
Physicians can diagnose scarlet fever by identifying the characteristic rash. They also may take a swab from the throat to perform a throat culture or rapid strep test to confirm the presence of streptococcal bacteria. Scarlet fever is easily treated with antibiotics and other measures to alleviate symptoms of the rash or fever. Prevention methods revolve around good hygiene and keeping patients from transmitting the disease for several days after they begin antibiotic therapy. The effect of scarlet fever on public health has changed dramatically in the past 100 years. Before antibiotics were available, scarlet fever was a common cause of serious childhood illness and death, mostly occurring when its complications affected other body systems. Quarantining patients in their homes was the only way to prevent transmission and minimize epidemics. With the antibiotics available today, scarlet fever can be readily cured within a few weeks and rarely causes serious complications. Most patients who have scarlet fever develop immunity to it and do not contract it again.About scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is an upper respiratory disease characterized by a red skin rash and high fever. The rash is caused by an allergic reaction to toxins produced by streptococcal A bacteria, the same bacteria that cause strep throat.
Streptococcal bacteria normally can live on healthy skin and may cause no problems. When the bacteria get inside the body, they can cause infections such as strep throat or the skin and tissue infections of impetigo or cellulitis. Untreated, strep throat can develop into scarlet fever. In rare cases, other streptococcal infections may cause scarlet fever, but most cases originate with strep throat.
The rash associated with scarlet fever can affect most parts of the body, except the area around the mouth. It may itch or feel like a sunburn and after several days begins to peel.
Although it can occur at any age, scarlet fever usually affects children, though some children may be more susceptible than others. The bacteria can be transmitted through mouth and nasal fluids or droplets, either directly by coughing or sneezing or sometimes from objects an infected person has touched. The disease is commonly spread in areas of close contact such as schools and daycare centers. Scarlet fever occurs more often in colder months when children spend more time indoors and in close contact.
The disease is easily treatable with antibiotics. However, left untreated, scarlet fever can infect other body systems and create other serious inflammations. Rheumatic fever can inflame connective tissue such as heart valves and damage them permanently. Glomerulonephritis is a kidney inflammation that may eventually lead to kidney failure. The advent of antibiotics has changed the course of scarlet fever. Before the middle of the 20th century, scarlet fever was a serious and often deadly childhood illness. Patients were quarantined in their homes for weeks and often their belongings were burned. People who later developed rheumatic fever spent months convalescing. Current antibiotic treatment and attention to hygiene has eliminated the need for quarantine. Most people who contract scarlet fever develop immunity to further infection with the same strain of the bacteria.