How long is a child contagious with scarlet fever
Scarlet fever - HSE.ie
Scarlet fever is a contagious infection that mostly affects young children. It's easily treated with antibiotics.
Check if you have scarlet fever
The first signs of scarlet fever can be flu-like symptoms such as:
- high temperature (38 degrees Celsius or higher)
- sore throat
- swollen neck glands (a large lump on the side of your neck)
Most people with a high temperature or a sore throat have another virus and not scarlet fever.
A rash appears 12 to 48 hours later. It looks like small, raised bumps. It starts on the chest and tummy, then spreads. The rash makes your skin feel rough, like sandpaper.
On white skin the rash looks pink or red. It may be harder to see on brown and black skin, but you can still feel it.The symptoms are the same for children and adults, although scarlet fever is less common in adults.
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if you or your child:
- have scarlet fever symptoms
- have scarlet fever and chickenpox at the same time
- are ill again, weeks after scarlet fever got better – this can be a sign of a complication, such as rheumatic fever
- are feeling unwell and have been in contact with someone who has scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is very easily spread. Check with a GP before you go in. They may suggest a phone consultation.
What happens at your appointment
GPs can often diagnose scarlet fever by looking at your tongue and rash.
Sometimes they may:
- wipe a cotton bud around the back of your throat to test for bacteria
- arrange a blood test
If it's scarlet fever
If you or your child has scarlet fever, stay at home until all of these apply:
- You no longer have a high temperature.
- You don't have any other symptoms.
- It's been 24 hours since your first dose of antibiotics.
Treating scarlet fever
Your GP will prescribe antibiotics.
These will:
- help you get better quicker
- reduce the chance of a serious illnesses, such as pneumonia
- make it less likely that you'll pass the infection on to someone else
Information:
Contact your GP if you or your child are showing no signs of improvement after taking antibiotics.
Taking antibiotics
Keep taking the antibiotics until they're finished, even if you feel better.
This will reduce the chance of the infection returning.
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)
How long scarlet fever lasts
Scarlet fever lasts for around 1 week.
You can spread scarlet fever to other people up to 6 days before you get symptoms until 24 hours after you take your 1st dose of antibiotics.
If you do not take antibiotics, you can spread the infection for 2 to 3 weeks after your symptoms start.
Risks and complications of scarlet fever
Scarlet fever can be a serious illness. But thanks to antibiotics, it's less common than it used to be and easier to treat.
Complications from scarlet fever are rare.
They can happen during or in the weeks after the infection, and can include:
- ear infection
- sepsis - know the signs of sepsis
- strep A
- throat abscess
- sinusitis
- pneumonia
- meningitis
- rheumatic fever
Pregnancy advice
There's no evidence to suggest that getting scarlet fever during pregnancy will harm your baby.
But it can make you feel unwell, so it's best to avoid close contact with anyone who has it.
Contact a GP if you get symptoms.
Many of the antibiotics used for scarlet fever are safe to take during pregnancy.
How to avoid spreading scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is very infectious and can easily spread to other people.
To reduce the chance of spreading scarlet fever:
Do
-
wash your hands often with soap and water
-
use tissues to trap germs from coughs or sneezes
-
bin used tissues as quickly as possible
-
complete your course of antibiotics if prescribed, even if you feel better. This reduces the chance of the infection returning
Don't
-
do not go to work, school, creche or socialise with other people if you are ill
-
do not share cutlery, cups, towels, clothes, bedding or baths with anyone who has symptoms of scarlet fever
Content supplied by the NHS and adapted for Ireland by the HSE
Page last reviewed: 8 December 2022
Next review due: 8 December 2025
Scarlet fever - NHS
Scarlet fever is a contagious infection that mostly affects young children.
It's easily treated with antibiotics.
Check if you have scarlet fever
The first signs of scarlet fever can be flu-like symptoms, including a high temperature, a sore throat and swollen neck glands (a large lump on the side of your neck).
A rash appears 12 to 48 hours later. It looks like small, raised bumps and starts on the chest and tummy, then spreads. The rash makes your skin feel rough, like sandpaper.
On white skin the rash looks pink or red. On brown and black skin it might be harder to see a change in colour, but you can still feel the rash and see the raised bumps.
Credit:
BIOPHOTO ASSOCIATES/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/262529/view
Credit:
Don't Forget The Bubbles
https://dftbskindeep.
com/all-diagnoses/scarlet-fever/
https://dftbskindeep.com/all-diagnoses/scarlet-fever/#!jig[1]/ML/938
Credit:
Don't Forget The Bubbles
https://dftbskindeep.com/all-diagnoses/scarlet-fever/#!jig[1]/ML/4664
https://dftbskindeep.com/all-diagnoses/scarlet-fever/
A white coating also appears on the tongue. This peels, leaving the tongue red, swollen and covered in little bumps (called "strawberry tongue").
Credit:
SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/262413/view
Credit:
Don't Forget The Bubbles
https://dftbskindeep.com/all-diagnoses/scarlet-fever/
https://dftbskindeep.com/all-diagnoses/scarlet-fever/#!jig[1]/ML/4652
The rash does not appear on the face, but the cheeks can look red.
The redness may be harder to see on brown and black skin.
Credit:
ISM/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/101463/view
The symptoms are the same for children and adults, although scarlet fever is less common in adults.
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if you or your child:
- have scarlet fever symptoms
- do not get better in a week (after seeing a GP)
- have scarlet fever and chickenpox at the same time
- are ill again, weeks after scarlet fever got better – this can be a sign of a complication, such as rheumatic fever
- are feeling unwell and have been in contact with someone who has scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is very easily spread.
Check with a GP before you go in. They may suggest a phone consultation.
What happens at your appointment
GPs can often diagnose scarlet fever by looking at your tongue and rash.
Sometimes they may:
- wipe a cotton bud around the back of your throat to test for bacteria
- arrange a blood test
Treating scarlet fever
A GP will prescribe antibiotics. These will:
- help you get better quicker
- reduce the chance of a serious illnesses, such as pneumonia
- make it less likely that you'll pass the infection on to someone else
Important: Taking antibiotics
Keep taking the antibiotics until they're finished, even if you feel better.
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
How long scarlet fever lasts
Scarlet fever lasts for around 1 week.
You can spread scarlet fever to other people up to 6 days before you get symptoms until 24 hours after you take your 1st dose of antibiotics.
If you do not take antibiotics, you can spread the infection for 2 to 3 weeks after your symptoms start.
Important
If you or your child has scarlet fever, stay away from nursery, school or work for 24 hours after you take the 1st dose of antibiotics.
Is scarlet fever dangerous?
Scarlet fever can be a serious illness, but thanks to antibiotics, it's less common than it used to be and easier to treat.
But cases of scarlet fever have increased in recent years. For more information see GOV.UK: Scarlet fever guidance and data.
Complications from scarlet fever are rare. They can happen during or in the weeks after the infection, and can include:
- ear infection
- throat abscess
- sinusitis
- pneumonia
- meningitis
- rheumatic fever
Pregnancy advice
There's no evidence to suggest that getting scarlet fever during pregnancy will harm your baby.
But it can make you feel unwell, so it's best to avoid close contact with anyone who has it.
Contact a GP if you get symptoms.
Many of the antibiotics used for scarlet fever are considered to be safe to take during pregnancy.
How to avoid spreading scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is very infectious and can easily spread to other people.
To reduce the chance of spreading scarlet fever:
Do
-
wash your hands often with soap and water
-
use tissues to trap germs from coughs or sneezes
-
bin used tissues as quickly as possible
Don’t
-
do not share cutlery, cups, towels, clothes, bedding or baths with anyone who has symptoms of scarlet fever
Page last reviewed: 29 June 2021
Next review due: 29 June 2024
Scarlet fever - symptoms, ways of infection, treatment and prevention - clinic "Dobrobut"
Signs, treatment and prevention of scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is an infectious disease that occurs in an acute form and is characterized by a punctate rash, tonsillitis, general intoxication of the body.
Signs of scarlet fever in children are always pronounced and therefore, in most cases, treatment begins in a timely manner. But if the infection is latent or without intense manifestations, then serious complications are possible. nine0005
How the disease is transmitted
The causative agent of scarlet fever belongs to the group of streptococci that can affect the kidneys, joints, palatine tonsils. If at the time of penetration of the infection into the body, a person's immunity is greatly weakened, then this disease develops.
The source of infection is a person who has scarlet fever or is a carrier of streptococci. The incubation period for scarlet fever is on average about 10 days. An infected person poses a danger to others in terms of the spread of the disease within 15-20 days after the first signs appear. nine0005
Scarlet fever can also be contracted:
- by airborne droplets;
- through toys and household items;
- through food.
Clinical manifestations
Scarlet fever always starts acutely:
- body temperature suddenly rises to 39 degrees and above;
- the child complains of severe headache and nausea;
- the patient cannot swallow food (cutting pain in the throat). nine0016
On the third day after the first manifestations of the disease, a small rash appears on the body, characterized by severe itching. Knowing what the rash looks like with scarlet fever, you can take urgent therapeutic measures. A characteristic feature of the disease is that the rash "accumulates" in natural folds in the form of red stripes. It is necessary to carefully examine the inguinal folds, armpits and elbow folds, since pathological foci are most often found in these areas. To the touch, the skin with rashes becomes excessively dry, rough and resembles fine sandpaper. The rash can affect the face and the entire body. A characteristic sign of scarlet fever is a clear nasolabial triangle.
nine0005
The tongue of a patient with scarlet fever also changes, becoming crimson with swollen, prominent papillae. The entire mucous membrane of the oral cavity becomes inflamed and acquires a red tint, there is a purulent coating on the tonsils. Doctors call this type of oral cavity “fiery pharynx” and consider it one of the defining signs of the disease.
Only after four days (on average, this period can be increased/decreased by a day) the skin turns pale, active peeling of the foci of rashes begins - the skin is removed with a “stocking”, especially on the palms. nine0005
The symptoms of scarlet fever in adults are identical, but the course of the disease is always more severe with critical fever and convulsions.
Treatment and prevention of scarlet fever
There is no answer to the question of how to treat scarlet fever at the initial stage with an exact list of drugs - doctors recommend only symptomatic therapy. If the disease is mild, then the child is at home.
Hospitalization is necessary if complications occur. Within 10 days, the patient must comply with bed rest, he is prescribed a course of antibacterial drugs to suppress the growth and spread of streptococcus in the body. To facilitate general health, doctors additionally recommend: nine0005
- rinsing the mouth with chamomile decoction or furatsilin;
- taking antihistamines to relieve itching at the site of the rash;
- a course of vitamin therapy to strengthen the immune system and to prevent complications.
Pediatricians and infectious disease specialists deal with the treatment and prevention of scarlet fever. Doctors of these specialties should not only diagnose the disease, differentiate it from tonsillitis and allergies to some drugs, but also monitor the patient even after his recovery. In particular, it is necessary to monitor the characteristics of the excreted urine and the condition of the joints, because the most common consequences of complications of scarlet fever in a child are glomerulonephritis and rheumatism.
You can read more about possible complications on the pages of our website Dobrobut.com. nine0005
How many days is quarantine for scarlet fever? Children and adults are placed in isolation for 10 days if the course of the disease is mild and without complications. But even after this period, they cannot visit crowded places (schools, offices, and so on) for another 12 days. Thus, isolation continues for a minimum of 3 weeks.
Preventive measures
A patient with scarlet fever needs not only a separate room, but also separate dishes, towels and other household items. It is necessary to carry out wet cleaning 2-3 times a day in the room where the patient is located, and it is advisable to do this with a special disinfectant solution (Whiteness is suitable for this at home). nine0005
If scarlet fever occurs in a kindergarten, then the entire institution is quarantined and even healthy children do not visit it for 3 weeks. But such risks are successfully stopped by compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards, regular checks of the sanitation station for the presence of streptococcus, wet cleaning with disinfectant solutions and monitoring the condition of children.
There is no vaccination against scarlet fever, but once having had it, a person becomes practically invulnerable to infection - the immune system produces specific antibodies. Thanks to modern antibacterial drugs and a high level of medicine, scarlet fever responds well to treatment and the prognosis for it is exceptionally favorable. nine0005
Related services:
Pediatric consultation
Scarlet fever: prevention, symptoms and treatment
June 26, 2019
Lecture on the topic: "Scarlet fever in children" was held at Children's Clinic No. 23. It was held by the head of the department Ksenia Batrak. The lecture discussed symptoms, treatment and preventive measures.
Scarlet fever is an acute infectious disease, the hallmark of which is a combination of tonsillitis and small punctate skin rash. The duration of the incubation period is from 1 to 10 days. nine0005
Symptoms
· A sharp increase in temperature,
· Headache and total weakness
· tachycardia,
· Apathy and drowsiness, or, on the contrary, increased mobility
Rash and others.
The latent period of scarlet fever lasts from 3 to 7 days. The disease begins acutely with a sharp violation of the child's well-being: he becomes lethargic, drowsy, complains of severe headache and chills. Body temperature quickly reaches high numbers (38-40 ° C, depending on the severity of the disease). Often in the initial period of the disease, nausea and vomiting are noted. However, it should be noted that today scarlet fever in children, as in adulthood, can occur against the background of subfebrile temperature up to 37 ° C. nine0005
With scarlet fever, after a few hours, a specific rash appears on the skin in children in the form of small bright pink dots on reddened skin. The rash is more pronounced on the face, lateral surfaces of the body and in places of natural skin folds (inguinal, axillary, gluteal). A characteristic feature of scarlet fever is a sharp contrast between bright red "flaming" cheeks and a pale nasolabial triangle, on the skin of which there are no elements of a rash.
The appearance of the child also attracts attention: in addition to the color contrast, his face is puffy, his eyes are feverishly shining. nine0005
Treatment
Treatment is most often carried out at home. The sick child is isolated. In severe infections, hospitalization is indicated for a period of at least 10 days. Then for 12 days the child must be at home, he should not be allowed into the children's team. During treatment, the child must observe bed rest and eat right. Preference is given to mashed easily digestible food, steamed or boiled. It should be consumed in small portions, at least 4 times a day. Doctors recommend sticking to the therapeutic diet No. 13 according to Pevzner, and after two weeks - diet No. 7. It is also necessary to observe the drinking regimen. nine0005
Prevention of scarlet fever
Avoid contact with a carrier of the disease,
Strengthen the child's immune system,
Maintain good personal hygiene.
If there is an outbreak in the children's group, quarantine is imposed for a week.
During this period, adults and children who have been in contact with the patient are examined daily. Children who have been in contact with a patient with scarlet fever are not allowed to enter kindergarten or the first two grades of school for 7 days. nine0005
If there is a child with scarlet fever in the family, the following rules must be observed:
the child must be kept in a separate room,
the child must be cleaned daily using a chloramine solution,
only one member of the family can care for the sick child, who should minimize contact with other people,
the patient should use separate dishes and personal hygiene items; his underwear and clothes should also be washed separately, with disinfectants or boiled, and ironed on both sides. nine0005
Toys that the child has played with should be washed thoroughly with a disinfectant solution and rinsed under running water. Soft toys should be washed or discarded altogether.
After recovery, the child must be under the supervision of a doctor for a month.
