Scarlet fever

Scarlet fever is one of the most common bacterial infectious diseases in children of kindergarten and school age. Although transmission is still possible in adulthood, scarlet fever is considered a classic childhood illness. In this article, you will learn to recognize the typical symptoms that indicate your child has scarlet fever, how the disease progresses, and what its treatment entails.

What is the transmission route of scarlet fever?

Every fifth to tenth person carries the scarlet fever pathogen (A-streptococci) in itself, without necessarily falling ill themselves. The bacteria are transmitted quickly: usually via tiny saliva droplets when speaking, coughing, or sneezing ( Droplet infection ), less frequently also via contaminated objects on which the pathogens adhere ( Smear infection ). Scarlet fever highly contagious he, it occurs especially frequently in places where many people gather, such as in kindergarten or school. Once transmitted, the infectious bacteria mainly settle in the throat area and penetrate the mucous membranes there.

What are the symptoms of scarlet fever in children?

Most of the time, there is a period between infection and the onset of the disease. one to three days . After this scarlet fever- Incubation period The first symptoms appear very suddenly. Initially, these mainly include the following signs that resemble the flu:

• Headaches

• Fatigue

• Sore throat

• Difficulty swallowing

• Chills and rapidly rising fever

Especially in young children, it often leads to stomach pain and vomiting. Additionally, a characteristic feature of scarlet fever is that red spots on the palate and throat appear, the tonsils are inflamed and possibly covered with white spots, and the lymph nodes on the neck are swollen significantly. Until then, it is referred to as a Streptococcal Angina or rather Mandelentzündung .

How does the childhood disease progress?

Scarlet fever is only mentioned when, after one or two days, a fine, velvety Skin rash spreads across the entire body from the armpits, chest, and groin. Unlike measles or rubella, it causes no itching . The cheeks of your little explorer are probably very red, but the skin around the mouth remains pale.

Another typical scarlet fever symptom is the so-called Raspberry tongue or strawberry tongue : At the beginning of the illness, the tongue is coated white; after a few days, it reddens and, with the raised taste papillae, resembles a raspberry. After six to nine days, the rash and all other symptoms gradually subside. Shortly thereafter, your child's skin, especially on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, may peel.

What can be done to treat scarlet fever?

If your child has a sore throat and is suffering from a fever and rash, you should definitely consult a doctor with them. go to the pediatrician : There, if necessary, it can be clarified with a throat swab whether it is actually scarlet fever. Scarlet fever is usually treated with Antibiotics treated, which children usually receive in the form of juice or tablets. Already There is no risk of infection 24 hours after the first intake and the symptoms also improve noticeably. However, if no antibiotics are taken, the scarlet fever illness lasts about three weeks and remains contagious for the same duration.

If no antibiotic treatment is given or if it is discontinued too early, it can also lead to more serious Complications like middle ear infections, sinus infections, or pneumonia. In the past, pneumonia was particularly a common and dangerous complication of scarlet fever. Thanks to improved treatment options and the generally better nutritional status of children, it has fortunately become very rare today. Also, the so-called Rheumatic Fever , an inflammation that occurs as an autoimmune reaction as a result of scarlet fever and can affect the skin, heart, joints, and brain, has become extremely rare.

Immunity through scarlet fever?

It stubbornly persists Rumor that children who have recovered from the disease without antibiotics are immune to scarlet fever – that is not the case. While your child is immune to the pathogens that caused the scarlet fever after recovering from the illness, the disease can be caused by many different streptococcal bacteria, so complete immunity is never possible, and the infection can be triggered at any time by other pathogens. The misconception that avoiding antibiotics because of this can sometimes be very dangerous for your child. In the case of scarlet fever, you should therefore strictly adhere to the treatment plan of the pediatrician and also adhere to the recommended duration of medication intake even if the symptoms subside earlier.

Additional measures

In addition to treatment by the pediatrician, there are some things you can do to help your child feel better again soon – with plenty of rest and love, recovery is ultimately the best. :)

• As long as it is contagious, your child should have as little contact with others as possible to prevent further infections. Kindergarten, daycare, and co. are therefore initially tabu , until the doctor decides when your little explorer can be with other children again. Additionally, it is important to the Set up to inform , when your child has scarlet fever.

• At home are Rest and convalescence essential so that your little patient quickly gets back on their feet.

• Hot beverages and soft foods like porridge or soup, they soothe the sore throat and ease swallowing difficulties. Especially with Fever Your favorite should also drink plenty. Water and herbal tea are best suited here. Make sure to wash your hands regularly and thoroughly to avoid infecting yourself.

After overcoming scarlet fever, it takes approximately four weeks, until the immune system has recovered and is back to being normally resilient. Even then, your child should initially take it easy and not overexert physically: sports and wild play are only recommended again after six weeks (as far as this is feasible with your toddler ;)).

Even if you probably cannot prevent your young child from catching scarlet fever, since there is currently no vaccine available, we want to reassure you: scarlet fever is treatable, and the symptoms can be significantly alleviated with the right measures, so your child will be healthy again soon. Until then, we wish you a speedy recovery!