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Scarlet fever is an infection of the throat caused by group A streptococci bacteria. How do you get scarlet fever? Who is most at risk? Signs and symptoms Signs and symptoms appear around 1 to 3 days after exposure to an infectious person.
Sore throat, fever high temperature and swollen tonsils and neck glands are the typical first symptoms. A fine red scarlet rash develops 12 to 48 hours after symptoms begin. It appears on the trunk and limbs and looks like sunburn and feels like sandpaper.
The rash lasts 2 to 5 days. During recovery, the skin may peel off the fingers and toes. Other common symptoms include headaches, nausea feeling sick and vomiting, not feeling hungry, and feeling generally unwell. How do I know I have scarlet fever? How long is it infectious? The rash usually starts on the chest and stomach, but soon spreads to other parts of the body, such as the ears, neck, elbows, inner thighs and groin. The rash doesn't usually spread to the face.
However, the cheeks become flushed and the area just around the mouth stays quite pale. The rash will turn white if you press a glass on it. The rash usually fades after about a week, but the outer layers of skin, usually on the hands and feet, may peel for several weeks afterwards. See your GP as soon as possible if you think you or your child has scarlet fever. Although the illness usually clears up after about a week, your GP will be able to confirm a diagnosis and recommend appropriate treatment.
Most cases of scarlet fever clear up after about a week without treatment. However, treatment is recommended. Treatment reduces the length of time you're contagious, speeds up recovery and lowers the risk of complications of scarlet fever.
With treatment, most people recover in about four to five days and can return to nursery, school or work 24 hours after starting antibiotic treatment.
Scarlet fever is usually treated with a day course of antibiotics. This is often in the form of penicillin or amoxicillin tablets, although liquid may be used for young children. For people who are allergic to penicillin, alternative antibiotics such as erythromycin can be used instead. The fever usually gets better within 24 hours of starting antibiotics, with the other symptoms disappearing within a few days. However, it's important that the whole course of treatment is completed to ensure the infection is fully cleared.
Keep your child away from nursery or school for at least 24 hours after starting antibiotic treatment. Adults with scarlet fever should also stay off work for at least 24 hours after starting treatment.
Many of the symptoms of scarlet fever can be relieved using some simple self care measures, such as:. Most cases of scarlet fever don't cause complications, particularly if the condition is properly treated. You may have one of these rare complications if you're very unwell, in severe pain and have a severe headache , vomiting or diarrhoea.
See your GP immediately if any of these symptoms appear in the first few weeks after the main infection has cleared up. Home Illnesses and conditions Infections and poisoning Scarlet fever. Scarlet fever See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1.
About scarlet fever 2. Symptoms of scarlet fever 3. Treating scarlet fever 4. Complications of scarlet fever. About scarlet fever Scarlet fever is a bacterial illness that mainly affects children. Scarlet fever symptoms Scarlet fever usually follows a sore throat or a skin infection, such as impetigo , caused by particular strains of streptococcus bacteria.
When to seek medical advice Scarlet fever usually clears up after about a week, but if you think you or your child may have it, see your GP for a proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment. How scarlet fever spreads Scarlet fever is very contagious and can be caught by: breathing in bacteria in airborne droplets from an infected person's coughs and sneezes touching the skin of a person with a streptococcal skin infection, such as impetigo sharing contaminated towels, baths, clothes or bed linen It can also be caught from carriers — people who have the bacteria in their throat or on their skin but don't have any symptoms.
It's possible to catch scarlet fever more than once, but this is rare. The rash from scarlet fever fades in about 7 days.
As the rash fades, the skin may peel around the fingertips, toes, and groin area. This peeling can last up to several weeks. Anyone can get scarlet fever, but there are some factors that can increase the risk of getting this infection. Scarlet fever, like strep throat , is more common in children than adults. It is most common in children 5 through 15 years old. It is rare in children younger than 3 years old. Adults who are at increased risk for scarlet fever include:. Close contact with another person with scarlet fever is the most common risk factor for illness.
For example, if someone has scarlet fever, it often spreads to other people in their household. Infectious illnesses tend to spread wherever large groups of people gather together.
Crowded conditions can increase the risk of getting a group A strep infection. These settings include:. Many viruses and bacteria can cause an illness that includes a red rash and sore throat. Only a rapid strep test or a throat culture can determine if group A strep are the cause. A rapid strep test involves swabbing the throat and testing the swab.
The test quickly shows if group A strep are causing the illness. If the test is positive, doctors can prescribe antibiotics. If the test is negative, but a doctor still suspects scarlet fever, then the doctor can take a throat culture swab. A throat culture takes time to see if group A strep bacteria grow from the swab. While it takes more time, a throat culture sometimes finds infections that the rapid strep test misses. Culture is important to use in children and teens since they can get rheumatic fever from an untreated scarlet fever infection.
For adults, it is usually not necessary to do a throat culture following a negative rapid strep test. Adults are generally not at risk of getting rheumatic fever following scarlet fever.
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