Scarlet Fever

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What is Scarlet Fever:

Scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, but it is highly infectious. Therefore, look out for symptoms in your child, which include a sore throat, headache, and fever, along with a fine, pinkish or red body rash with a sandpapery feel. On darker skin, the rash can be more difficult to detect visually but will have a sandpapery feel.

Contact your GP if you suspect your child has scarlet fever, because early treatment of scarlet fever with antibiotics is important to reduce the risk of complications such as pneumonia or a bloodstream infection. If your child has scarlet fever, keep them at home until at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment to avoid spreading the infection to others.

For a child/ young person (aged 0-16) with suspected Strep A/Scarlet Fever/RSV, you can now book a face to face appointment at Vicarage Lane Health Centre by calling 0203 839 7513 (Opening times: Monday to Sunday 11.30am-9.30pm).

Scarlet fever is caused by bacteria called group A streptococci. These bacteria also cause other respiratory and skin infections such as strep throat and impetigo.

There are lots of viruses that cause sore throats, colds and coughs circulating. These should resolve without medical intervention. However, children can on occasion develop a bacterial infection on top of a virus and that can make them more unwell.

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As a parent, if you feel that your child seems seriously unwell. Contact your GP if:

your child is getting worse
your child is feeding or eating much less than normal
your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration
your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38°C, or is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39°C or higher
your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or feels sweaty
your child is very tired or irritable

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Things you can do yourself:

You can relieve symptoms of scarlet fever by:

drinking cool fluids
eating soft foods if you have a sore throat
taking painkillers like paracetamol to bring down a high temperature (do not give aspirin to children under 16)
using calamine lotion or antihistamine tablets to ease itching

Good hand and respiratory hygiene are important for stopping the spread of many bugs. By teaching your child how to wash their hands properly with soap for 20 seconds, using a tissue to catch coughs and sneezes, and keeping away from others when feeling unwell, they will be able to reduce the risk of picking up or spreading infections.

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Call 999 or go to A&E if:

your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs
there are pauses when your child breathes
your child’s skin, tongue or lips are blue
your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake

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Find out about scarlet fever, including the symptoms, what to do if you or your child has it, how it's treated, how long it lasts and how it's spread.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/scarlet-fever/

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Reference: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-update-on-scarlet-fever-and-invasive-group-a-strep

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/scarlet-fever/