Parents warned over 'highly infectious' scarlet fever and chicken pox as cases rise

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Parents have been warned as cases of scarlet fever and chicken pox are on the risk. Health experts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) explained that cases of both infections are up compared to last year.

Scarlet fever is caused by a bacteria called group A streptococcus and can cause complications with other skin conditions such as chicken pox when both illnesses are circulating.

Experts are urging parents to be vigilant and aware of the signs and symptoms of both infections.Scarlet fever is most common in children but can still affect adults.

A total of 3,488 notifications of scarlet fever were reported between September 2021 and March 2022 in England compared to an average of 8,605 for this same period in the previous 5 years.The symptoms are the same for children and adults, although scarlet fever is less common in adults.Scarlet fever rashA rash appears 12 to 48 hours later.The rash looks like small, raised bumps and often starts on the chest or tummy and then spreads.It will also make the skin feel rough, much like sandpaper.If signs of scarlet fever are suspected, people should contact their local GP or NHS 111.Early treatment of scarlet fever with antibiotics is important as it helps reduce the risk of complications such as pneumonia and the spread of the infection to others.Children or adults diagnosed with scarlet fever are advised to stay at home until at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment to avoid spreading the infection to others.Scarlet fever usually lasts for around one week.Dominic Mellon, deputy director of health protection at UKHSA South West said: "It’s not uncommon to see a rise in cases of scarlet fever at this time of year and we are continuing to monitor rates of