Scarlet

Symptoms

The disease typically begins with fever,headache, a sore throat, clogged and swollen tonsils, and sore throat (strep throat). Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and chills. The lymph nodes are swollen. After one to two days, scarlet fever exanthema appears, a red, rough rash that spreads over the trunk, arms, legs, and face and resembles sunburn. The palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and the region around the mouth are not affected. The skin is covered with small papules and the skin folds are more red. When light pressure is applied, the redness disappears from the skin. Also typical is the so-called strawberry tongue. It is initially covered in white and the papillae are enlarged. After a few days the white coating disappears and the redness remains. After the exanthema has disappeared again, the skin begins to peel off, especially on the face, in the skin folds, on the palms of the hands and on the feet. Scarlet fever occurs mainly in kindergarten and school-age children from the age of 6 years. It can lead to dangerous complications in other organs such as the heart, joints, inner ear, lungs, and kidneys, and can cause blood poisoning. Therefore, antibiotic therapy is important (see below).

Causes

The cause of the disease is infection with group A beta-hemolytic streptococci. The bacteria are transmitted by droplets, for example, when coughing or sneezing, or by direct person-to-person contact. Contaminated objects can also lead to infection. The incubation period is short, 1-4 days. About twenty percent of the population are asymptomatic carriers, in whom the bacteria are present on the mucosa.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is made under medical care based on patient history, clinical symptoms, physical examination, with a throat swab (antigen detection) and pathogen detection.

Drug treatment

Antibiotics:

• The disease is usually treated with penicillins. They reduce contagiousness within 24 hours, shorten the duration of illness, and relieve symptoms. Alternatively, other antibiotics such as cephalosporins, macrolides and lincosamides (clindamycin) are available.

Painkillers:

• Analgesics are available for symptomatic treatment of pain and fever. The sore throat can be relieved with local anesthetic drugs, see sore throat.

Prevention

• There is no vaccine available.
• Frequent hand washing, good hygiene.
• Do not share personal items such as towels or toothbrushes.
• Isolation of the sick (bed rest), antibiotic therapy.