Scarlet fever

Overview

Scarlet fever is a bacterial infection of the tonsils (tonsillitis), accompanied by a red skin rash. It is a typical childhood illness but can in some few cases also affect adults. The disease is almost always treated with antibiotics.

Symptoms

Main symptoms

• Sore throat and headache
• Coughing
• Red back of throat and pain when swallowing
• High fever
• Pink-red skin rash which starts on the body and throat and then spreads to the legs and arms
  • Frequently, no rash around the mouth and chin
  • Scaling can occur after a few days, in particular on the palms and soles of the feet

Other symptoms

• Abdominal pain and vomiting
• Frequently, itching
• Smelly breath
• Red and swollen tonsils
• Tongue can have a white coating (known as raspberry tongue)

Complications

• Abscess of palatine tonsils (formation of pus)
• Sinus infection and middle ear infection
• Very rarely, blood poisoning (sepsis)
• Rheumatic fever
  • Inflammation of the heart muscle and heart valves,
  • kidney inflammation

Causes and treatment

Causes

• Group A streptococci bacteria
  • The same pathogen that causes “tonsillitis”
  • Certain strains produce toxins (exotoxins) that also cause a skin rash

Further treatment by your doctor / in hospital

Possible tests

• Quick test to identify the bacteria (swab)
• Blood test (inflammatory markers)

Possible therapies

• Antibiotics
• Painkillers
  

What can I do myself?

• Bed rest
• Gargle (e.g. with sage tea)
• Cold throat compresses (e.g. quark, lemon, onion poultices)
• Milk with honey
  

When to see a doctor?

• Fever of higher than 40 degrees
• Light-headedness, cramps, stiff neck
• Bleeding into the skin (dark red spots)