Scarlet fever, a disease that affects children, has been spreading over the past year: what you need to know

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What to do if your child has scarlet fever.

Health – Scarlet fever, a disease of another age? Not so sure. While its name evokes antiquity, when some pathologies that are now benign could threaten the population, scarlet fever continues to spread in France and throughout the world. The disease, which mainly affects children, has also experienced a definite resurgence since last year.

If Sante Public France cannot provide an exact number of cases, the agency noted in December 2022. “Increase in non-invasive group A streptococcus (GAS) infections, particularly scarlet fever from September 2022”.. was contacted by HuffPostAndreas Werner, pediatrician and president of the French Association of Outpatient Paediatrics (AFPA), confirms the trend: “All Streptococcus A infections have increased significantly in 2023 (including scarlet fever, editor’s note). This year the cases are slightly less, but the disease is still prevalent. »

According to the Health Insurance website, scarlet fever, an infectious disease caused by bacteria (i.e. Streptococcus A), primarily affects children ages 5 to 10 during the winter. What causes “Small outbreak at school ” Although it causes fever, sore throat and skin rash, scarlet fever is not dangerous when properly treated – even though the WHO mentioned fatal cases in France in 2022. What to do if your child is affected by the disease here is

How to recognize scarlet fever?

Scarlet fever is very rare in children under two years of age, and after the age of ten, “80% of individuals have already produced antibodies that give them lifelong immunity” Against this disease, According to health insurance. The first symptoms begin to appear after an incubation period of one to four days: fever above 38.5 degrees Celsius, sore throat and difficulty swallowing. “The throat is red and swollen, the tonsils are swollen and the lymph nodes in the neck are swollen”Refers to the site.

The rash appears after one to two days. It starts in the armpits, groin, and neck folds, then eventually affects other parts of the body, such as the chest, lower abdomen, or face. It is presented in the form “Large uniform bright red sheets without gaps in healthy skin”And that “scattered with more intense red spots, which make it rough or granular to the touch”.

Language also takes a typical appearance: it is at the beginning “Covered with a thick white coating, then it loses its white coating from the periphery to the center and becomes raw, after a few days the raspberry turns red”.

How to treat it?

Health insurance recommends consulting a GP or pediatrician if symptoms occur. In some cases, it is worth contacting the Améli.fr website in detail, immediately. He is the doctor who diagnoses scarlet fever. If he has any doubts, he can do a rapid diagnostic test for angina. This allows you to know if the sore throat is bacterial group A streptococcal.

Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor prescribes antibiotic treatment, amoxicillin, for six days. The child can also take a painkiller, preferably paracetamol. “It is advisable to use only one medicine to treat your child’s fever and pain.”Refers to Ameli.fr.

You can also take some simple actions at home to get relief from the symptoms of scarlet fever. For fever, you can leave your child “In a cool, airy room” Between 18 and 20 °C. Health insurance also insists on not covering too much and giving it “He likes cold water or drink so he drinks it happily”. For angina, fresh, non-acidic, soft and swallowable food is advised.

How to avoid it?

There are steps you can take to prevent scarlet fever. But before that, we need to know how it is transmitted. Bacteria are present in the secretions of the nose and throat, so contamination can occur through the air (coughing, sneezing, spitting while speaking), by putting hands in the mouth or nose, by kissing, or more rarely, by contact with recently contaminated substances.

So, what can you do to optimize your child’s chances of not getting scarlet fever? “Prevention is the same as for any nasopharyngeal infection”, explains Andreas Werner. So your child should follow the same advice as during Covid: wash their hands thoroughly and respect social distancing from sick people. And for parents, it is also recommended to ventilate the room well.

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