Scarlet Fever Signs

Scarlet fever is an infectious disease caused by bacteria and is highly contagious. The causes of scarlet fever are group A streptococci (Streptococcus pyogenes or A streptococci). Scarlet fever is one of the most common bacterial infectious diseases in children and adolescents . It is therefore one of the classic teething problems. Other names for the scarlet fever are scarlatina or scarlet angina.

Scarlet fever bacteria occur all over the world. They are transmitted by the finest droplets of saliva when you cough, sneeze or speak. Depending on the bacterial strain, the pathogens produce various toxins. The human immune system can form protective antibodies against these. If a patient has survived a scarlet fever infection, he will be immune to the toxins of the scarlet fever pathogen that he was infected with in the future. Since the individual strains of bacteria produce different toxins, you can get scarlet fever several times .

Typical signs of scarlet fever are a sore throat ( angina tonsillaris ), a pimply rash, and a fever .

Scarlet fever in adults, children, and babies

In principle, anyone can get scarlet fever . The most common infectious disease occurs in kindergarten and school age between five and twelve years. Babies can also develop scarlet fever from around the age of six months. In the period before that, the babies are usually protected by the so-called nest protection. Unlike many other childhood diseases, a person can get scarlet fever several times. Around one in four young people has had scarlet fever at least once in their life. Most scarlet fever diseases occur in the cold season from October to March.

Scarlet fever in adults is significantly less common than in children. In adults, doctors often don't recognize scarlet fever until late - if at all. With symptoms such as sore throat, swallowing difficulties and fever, many do not go to the doctor at all or only go very late. Scarlet fever can cause the same complications and long-term effects in adults as in children. These include heart and kidney infections or rheumatic fever.

Correctly interpreting scarlet fever symptoms

The first signs of a scarlet fever infection are:

• Sore throat
• The palate and throat are reddened with scarlet fever, the tonsils are inflamed and may be coated with white
• The lymph nodes on the neck are noticeably thickened
• headache
• difficulties swallowing
• Sudden, rapidly rising fever and chills are usually included, but there are also scarlet fever diseases without a fever.
• In addition, there can be coughing, abdominal pain , vomiting and diarrhea .

The typical fine rash in scarlet fever shows up after a day or two. The rash often forms first in the armpits and groin area, or on the chest and lower abdomen. Later, the scarlet fever rash can cover almost the entire body, except for the palms of the hands and feet. Affected areas feel rough, something like sandpaper. The pimply rash is caused by the toxins (toxins) of the scarlet fever pathogen. Itching does not usually occur. After six to nine days of healing, the skin may flake noticeably.

Scarlet fever is known for the " raspberry tongue ", sometimes also called strawberry tongue. At the beginning the tongue is coated white, but after a few days it turns red noticeably. Clear bumps can often be observed on the tongue because the papillae are thickened. The cheeks are usually reddened in scarlet fever, but the mouth area is noticeably pale. It can even have a bluish shimmer (“milk beard”).

Is Scarlet Fever Contagious?

Scarlet fever is highly contagious. You can become infected with the bacteria ( Streptococcus pyogenes or Streptococcus A) very quickly if you come into contact with someone who is sick. The incubation period for scarlet fever, i.e. the period from infection to the onset of the disease, is usually one to three days for scarlet fever, rarely longer.

How long scarlet fever is contagious depends on the therapy. If doctors treat the infection with antibiotics, the scarlet fever pathogens are no longer contagious as early as 24 hours after taking the drug for the first time. Without antibiotics , however, the disease can be transmitted for up to three weeks, in exceptional cases even longer. Incidentally, scarlet fever is not triggered by a virus, but by bacteria (streptococci). Antibiotics only help against bacteria, not viruses and other pathogens.

How does scarlet fever transmission happen?

Most of the time, scarlet fever is transmitted from person to person. The scarlet fever pathogens mainly colonize the mucous membrane in the mouth and throat. Infected people use tiny droplets of saliva to spread the bacteria around them when they speak, sneeze and cough. Other people can becomes infected if they inhale the droplets containing the pathogen. This transmission path is called droplet infection. In community facilities such kindergartens or schools, scarlet fever can spread particularly quickly through close contact with children.

People very rarely become infected with the bacteria through food or objects such as clothing, toys and books (smear infection). A special form is scarlet fever, in which the pathogens enter the body through skin wounds and spread from there.

Important: Not all people who carry scarlet fever get sick. Even so, they can pass scarlet fever disease on to other people and thus spread it.

Scarlet Fever in Pregnancy

Scarlet fever during pregnancy does not pose a particular risk for the expectant mother and / or child. Scarlet fever cannot directly cause malformations in the baby or lead to premature or stillbirths - in contrast to measles and rubella .

However, scarlet fever can adversely affect pregnancy if doctors fail to identify, treat, and monitor the disease in a timely manner. Pregnant women with scarlet fever can develop complications such as inflammation of the heart or kidneys. Then the baby may subsequently suffer from an acid or nutrient deficiency and its growth will be impaired. 

Scarlet Fever Treatment - Medications and Tips

Scarlet fever is a highly contagious bacterial infectious disease. Doctors often treat scarlet fever with antibiotics to reduce the time it takes to become ill and reduce the risk of bacterial transmission . This scarlet fever therapy also prevents complications and long-term effects. Without an antibiotic, scarlet fever is contagious for up to three weeks.

Scarlet fever therapy with antibiotics has the following advantages:

• The symptoms and complaints subside more quickly.
• The time the risk of infection is shortened.
• The treatment prevents complications and long-term effects.

When taking antibiotics, it is always important that you observe the prescribed duration (i.e. do not stop taking them too early).

Antibiotics for scarlet fever

Doctors use the following antibiotics for scarlet fever:

• The drugs of choice for scarlet fever are β-lactam antibiotics. These include penicillin, amoxicillin, ampicillin, and cephalosporins; Doctors usually administer them over ten days, usually as tablets
• Cephalosporins are available for children as a shortened scarlet fever treatment, usually only for five days
• Erythromycin, clarithromycin, or other macrolides for five to ten days are effective against penicillin allergies

Treating scarlet fever with an antibiotic ensures that sick people feel better quickly. Most patients feel much better and are no longer contagious just 24 hours after the first dose. Nevertheless, the person concerned must continue to take the antibiotic regularly and as prescribed. Otherwise bacteria are left behind, can multiply again and trigger scarlet fever again. If you don't use antibiotics correctly, bacteria can also develop resistance and spread. Then the corresponding antibiotic would be ineffective against these pathogens in the future. Antibiotic scarlet fever therapy takes five to ten days, depending on the drug.

If complications arise during a scarlet fever infection, such as blood poisoning (sepsis), doctors also use other antibiotics against the pathogen, for example clindamycin.

Scarlet Fever Treatment: General Tips!

In addition to medication, there are some general tips that can help patients with scarlet fever. These include, for example:

• Make sure you get some rest, it is best to stay in bed.
• Drink a lot, especially if you have a fever; Unsweetened herbal teas, water or fruit juice spritzers are good.
• Gargle solutions and warm compresses soothe a sore throat.
• Prefer soft or liquid food (soup, porridge) if you have difficulty swallowing.
• Avoid contact with other people until the risk of infection has passed.
• Prevent smear infections, for example by washing your hands regularly and thoroughly.
• Ibuprofen or paracetamol may help against pain and fever.  @ READ MORE What are the Side Effects? – Medications, Get Help, and More