Parents warned to watch out for 3 symptoms of Victorian disease after cases in kids rise

PARENTS have been warned to watch out for three key symptoms of a Victorian disease that is rising in numbers.

Scarlet fever has been causing unusually large outbreaks in recent years.

Although modern medicine has drastically improved outcomes, it was once a leading cause of death in children in the 19th century.

In recent weeks, the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) has been keeping a close eye on infection rates, which are highest in the North West of England.

A total of 914 notifications of scarlet fever were reported between September 2021 and March 2022 in the region.

While this is in line with what is expected for this time of year, it is considerably higher than the year prior.

Covid lockdowns prevented the spread of bugs, meaning more people are susceptible to infection now.

The UKHSA wrote on Twitter this week: “Scarlet fever is usually a mild illness but can be serious if left untreated.

"It's highly contagious and mostly affects young children. 

“We're reminding parents of the symptoms of scarlet fever and what to do.”

The health agency warned parents of the three first signs of scarlet fever:

• A high temperature
• A sore throat and swollen neck glands
• A bumpy, rough feeling rash usually appears after 12 to 48 hours on the chest and tummy.

UKHSA said if your child is showing these signs, you should contact your GP or NHS 111.

Your child may first appear as if they have flu, with a temperature of 38C (100.4F) or over.

Other symptoms include a white coating on the tongue, which peels a few days after appearing, leaving the tongue red and swollen, known as “strawberry tongue”.

Kids should be kept off school or nursery for 24 hours after their first antibiotic.

The same goes for working adults who might have caught the bug, who should stay out the office.

Antibiotics are necessary to get better from scarlet fever and reduce the chance of serious illnesses, such as pneumonia.

You can help relieve the symptoms at home, too, by drinking cold liquids, eating soft foods and taking painkillers and antihistamines.

Thanks to antibiotics, scarlet fever is less common than it used to be and easier to treat.

But occasionally, the bacteria (group A streptococci) can cause severe and life-threatening diseases.

There is the risk it can develop into liver, heart, or kidney damage, meningitis, pneumonia and more.