Scarlet fever

[Basicwhich]

So my dcs school has had 2 cases of scarlet fever this week.
What I'm trying to work out, and can't seem to find out, is if scarlet fever is caused by strep a bacteria does it spread as scarlet fever or does it spread as strep a e.g. a sore throat and each potential sore throat has the potential to become scarlet fever.

I think Strep A can present in a few different ways, the most common being Scarlet Fever and ‘Strep throat’. If you know strep A is doing the rounds at school I’d be suspicious of any sore throat accompanied by high fever and general unwellness.

DD had temps of 40 with Strep A and felt awful. It’s the illest she’s been with any childhood lurgy. But she didn’t have the scarlet fever rash and her sore throat didn’t have the visual signs of Strep throat so it wasn’t diagnosed until later when it showed in a blood test. DD also always has a miraculous recovery under the bright fluorescent lights of a doctors surgery or hospital so she ‘looks well’ so my account of her being very unwell didn’t tally with how she presented to the medics.

One local doctors surgery swabs every sore throat once there’s a case of Strep A in the school. I think this is wise and I will have DD’s throat swabbed in future.

When my girls got scarlet fever which we have had twice, it came straight in as scarlet fever not as a sore throat first. Once you know what to look for it is quite clear - red chest rash, strawberry tongue (red with white spots) and fever. If you have those symptoms don't leave it as it is treated with antibiotics. If you do get it make sure you keep an eye on the whole family. I caught it from my DD didn't treat it because I was too busy looking after two sick children and it turned into pneumonia and pleurisy.