What is Scarlet Fever ?

Scarlet fever is the infection of Streptococcus. It is characterized by high fever and rashes on the body. This infection is very common among the small children and basically starts with a strep throat infection or a wound. The strep infection may be of different types and can produce 3 types of toxins in the body. The rashes occur as a result of the secretion of these toxins. It is very important to understand how the scarlet fever spreads. It is a contagious disease and spreads by droplet and also mostly by direct transmission. Generally people believe that scarlet fever gets transmitted by formites or by air. However this is a misconception because air borne or formite transmission rarely occurs. Close contact is extremely required for the disease to get transmitted. This disease is also called a childhood disease because its victims are generally small children. It gets transmitted among the children when a healthy child gets the secretions of a victim into his own mouth during direct contact.

However here we present certain guidelines which will help you to avoid scarlet fever infection in any form. First and foremost avoid close contact with the victim. Make sure that the children are kept on antibiotics care. As soon as an infected person gets well, do remember to change his toothbrush to avoid any repeated infection. Generally 24 hours after intake of antibiotics, the disease becomes non-contagious. So try to avoid contact with anybody during this period. By following these precautions you can avoid the scarlet fever infection.