Streptococcal Infections (cont.)
Scarlet Fever
Scarlet fever is another form of group A strep disease that can follow strep
throat. It is usually contagious and lasts for a specific length of time whether
or not it is treated.
Symptoms of scarlet fever
In addition to the symptoms of strep throat, a red rash
appears on the sides of your chest and abdomen. It may spread to cover most of
your body. This rash appears as tiny, red pinpoints and has a rough texture like
sandpaper. When pressed on, the rash loses color or turns white. There may also
be dark red lines in the folds of skin. You may get a bright strawberry-red
tongue and flushed (rosy) face, while the area around your mouth remains pale. The skin on
the tips of your fingers and toes often peels after you get better. If you have
a severe case, you may have a high fever, nausea, and vomiting.
Transmission of scarlet fever
You can get scarlet fever the same way as strep
throat-through direct contact with throat mucus, nasal discharge, and saliva of an infected person.
Treatment for scarlet fever
Like strep throat, your health care provider will treat scarlet fever with
antibiotics.
Severe strep infections
Some types of group A strep bacteria cause severe infections. These include
In 2004, 3,833 cases of severe group A streptococcal disease were reported to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
All severe group A strep infections may lead to shock, organ failure, and
death. Health care providers must recognize and treat such infections quickly.
Health care providers diagnose these infections by looking at blood counts
and doing urine tests as well as cultures of blood or fluid from a wound site.
Antibiotics used to treat these severe infections include
penicillin, erythromycin, and clindamycin. If you have severe tissue damage,
your health care provider may need to remove the tissue surgically or amputate
the limb.
People at the greatest risk of getting a severe strep infection are
- Children with chickenpox
- People with suppressed immune systems
- Burn victims
- Elderly people with cellulitis, diabetes, blood vessel
disease, or cancer
- People taking steroid treatments or chemotherapy
- Intravenous drug users
Severe group A strep disease may also occur in healthy people who have no
known risk factors.
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