What are the symptoms of scarlet fever?

Scarlet fever often starts with:

• high fever
• sore throat
• headache

After that, a spotty red rash appears. These spots:

• look like red goosebumps
• feel like sandpaper
• appear on the neck, chest, armpits, elbows, groin and inner thighs, and possibly in other areas as well
• do not appear around the mouth and nose

Red dots may also appear on the tongue, which is sometimes called strawberry tongue.

A few days after the first symptoms appear, the skin begins to peel, especially on the fingers and toes.

Who can become ill from scarlet fever?

Anyone can get scarlet fever. The disease mainly affects children.

How does scarlet fever spread?

The bacteria that cause scarlet fever are present in the nose and throat of a person who is infected. Many people carry these bacteria without becoming ill. However, they can infect others by coughing, sneezing, or exhaling. This releases small droplets into the air. If other people inhale the droplets, they could become infected as well.

Patients are already contagious a few days before the first symptoms appear –even before the rash starts. A person can infect others until the skin stops peeling. This is usually two to three weeks after the first symptoms. Patients who are treated with antibiotics are often contagious for a shorter period of time. 24 hours after starting treatment, they are usually no longer able to infect others.

The incubation period between exposure and illness is two to five days.

How can I prevent scarlet fever?

There is no vaccine against scarlet fever. You can reduce the risk of infection by practising good hygiene. Regularly wash your hands well with soap and water and cough or sneeze into a paper tissue. See our hygiene tips for more suggestions.

Is there any treatment for scarlet fever?

Scarlet fever goes away on its own after seven to ten days. In case of severe symptoms, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. These medicines stop the bacteria from continuing to grow.

Can a child with scarlet fever go to childcare or school?

Since scarlet fever is contagious even before the rash appears, there is no point in staying home. If your child has scarlet fever and feels well, they can go to school or childcare as usual. However, do tell the teacher or childcare worker that your child has scarlet fever.