CNN and BBC reported the number of patients who are diagnosed scarlet fever reaches about 20,000 that is biggest increase in fifty years in England.  The number of patents in East Asia are also increased.  Either case investigators do not know why it is happened.  Number of patients in East Asian countries such as Vietnam, South Korea, Hong Kong, and mainland China have been increasing since 2009.

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Scarlet fever is most common in children 5 to 15 years of age and highly contagious.  The disease develops in people who have group A Streptococcus pyogenes.  A red bright lash that looks and feels like sandpaper appears when people are infected. The red lush that gives scarlet fever appear on the neck and face and spread to the chest, then it moves to the back and other parts of the body.  A “strawberry” tongue shows as an early symptom, then a very sore, red throat, and a fever of 101 or higher are showed and key symptoms of this disease. Headaches and body chills, nausea and vomiting are also symptoms of this disease.

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For treating scarlet fever, doctors use a course of antibiotics, and the disease will be gone within a couple of weeks. If the patients are untreated, the disease can lead to serious illness or even death.

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This is the list of signs and symptoms, and the guideline to see a doctor:

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·         Red rash. The rash looks like a sunburn and feels like sandpaper. It typically begins on the face or neck and spreads to the trunk, arms and legs. If pressure is applied to the reddened skin, it will turn pale.

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·         Red lines. The folds of skin around the groin, armpits, elbows, knees and neck usually become a deeper red than the surrounding rash.

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·         Flushed face. The face may appear flushed with a pale ring around the mouth.

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·         Strawberry tongue. The tongue generally looks red and bumpy, and it's often covered with a white coating early in the disease.

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The rash and the redness in the face and tongue usually last about a week. After these signs and symptoms have subsided, the skin affected by the rash often peels. Other signs and symptoms associated with scarlet fever include:

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·         Fever of 101 F (38.3 C) or higher, often with chills

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·         Very sore and red throat, sometimes with white or yellowish patches

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·         Difficulty swallowing

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·         Enlarged glands in the neck (lymph nodes) that are tender to the touch

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·         Nausea or vomiting

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·         Headache

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When to see a doctor

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Talk to your doctor if your child has a sore throat with:

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·         A fever of 102 F (38.9 C) or higher

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·         Swollen or tender glands in the neck

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·         A red rash