Scarlet Fever is an illness which is caused by bacteria. People who contract it generally have a sore throat and fever. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention describes it as follows:
Scarlet fever, sometimes called scarlatina, is a disease caused by a bacteria called group A Streptococcus or "group A strep," the same bacteria that causes strep throat. Scarlet fever is a rash that sometimes occurs in people that have strep throat. People with scarlet fever typically also have a high fever and a strawberry-like appearance of the tongue. The rash of scarlet fever is usually seen in children under the age of 18.
What are its most common symptoms?
Scarlet fever begins with a rash that shows up as tiny red bumps. It most often begins on the chest and stomach but can then spread all over the body. It looks like a sunburn and feels like a rough piece of sandpaper. Most of the time it is redder in the creases of the elbows, arm pits, and groin areas. The rash lasts about 2-7 days. After the rash is gone, the skin on the tips of the fingers and toes begins to peel. Some other common signs of scarlet fever are:
A flush face with a pale area around the lips;
A red and sore throat that can have white or yellow patches;
A fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 degrees Celsius) or higher;
Swollen glands in the neck; and
A whitish coating can appear on the surface of the tongue. The tongue itself looks like a strawberry because the normal bumps on the tongue look bigger.
Today some physicians think that scarlet fever was the illness which caused Helen Keller to become deaf and blind. Other doctors disagree. No one knows for sure what caused her to lose her sight and hearing.
Credits
Image and quoted passage, online courtesy Center for Disease Control.
