General Health

Scarlet fever

Originally Published: December 14, 2001

 

Dear Alice,

I have a case of Scarlet Fever and was wondering how contagious it is and for how long. Am I putting people at risk by being around them?

 

Dear Reader,

It's a little surprising that your health care provider didn't give you the skinny on the contagiousness of this illness. Here's some background on it in case you and others are wondering. Scarlet fever is a disease caused by streptococcal bacteria — the same bug responsible for strep throat and impetigo. It's a rare disease that usually occurs in children, and, if left untreated, can lead to uncommon, but serious complications, such as rheumatic fever. Symptoms of scarlet fever include:

• a reddish-pink rash that spreads from the neck and face to the rest of the body (giving the disease its name)
• sore throat and fever

People who get scarlet fever usually develop a rash and other symptoms within two to seven days of exposure to infected nasal or throat secretions. Now on to your specific questions: although it's possible to transmit the bacteria to close contacts, after you've been on antibiotics for twenty-four hours, you're no longer contagious. So soon friends will be able to wish you, "Gesundheit," when you sneeze without having to worry about getting red faced themselves.

Alice

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