What is Scarlet Fever?
Scarlet fever is a bacterial disease common in people who have a strep throat and it manifests in a distinctive rash of tiny pinkish-red spots that cover the entire body. The same bacteria that causes you to have a strep throat also causes the scarlet fever. Anyone can get the disease but it is common in children between the ages of 5 and 15. Also known as scarlatina, the disease is often spread by contact with droplets from an infected person when they cough or sneeze. Even touching a surface like a plate or cup on which the droplets have landed can help spread the disease. Scarlet Fever Rash The rash is the most obvious symptom of scarlatina and often begins days earlier before a person feels ills. It often begins on the face and neck before eventually spreading out to the rest of the body. Areas with skin folds such as the armpits, elbows and knees will usually have a deeper red color than the surrounding skin. As the rash starts out, it may be red and blotchy but with ti