wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I didnt think that was still around :confused: Guess you learn something new everyday. A family in our church has had it since last week- they are getting better now but dd is sick now. I dont think thats what she has though... I certainly hope its not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 My oldest had scarlet fever when she was 12yo. It was actually the first time she'd ever had strep. The rest of us had all had strep several times, but she never had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 dd12 had it twice in Pre-school. Two times back to back in a month. :glare: She had a UTI and was on antibiotics. She then presented with classic symptoms of Scarlet Fever, strawberry tongue and all, but the strep culture was negative. The doctor insisted that it wasn't SF due to the neg culture. DD toughed it out and got better. A week later, she got it again. The exact same symptoms, in the same order. They cultured her again, and this time it was positive. The antibiotics helped her a lot and she was fine after that. We suspect that the antibiotics for the UTI altered the results for the first culture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I didnt think that was still around :confused: Guess you learn something new everyday. A family in our church has had it since last week- they are getting better now but dd is sick now. I dont think thats what she has though... I certainly hope its not! Scarlet fever is strep with a rash. Scarlet fever used to be much more severe than it typically is now, probably because the strain has changed a bit and it's weaker. It's treated exactly the same as a regular strep throat. If your dd has any symptoms of strep throat, she should be tested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Scarlet fever begins as strep. If strep goes very long at all untreated, it can also progress to rheumatic fever and can damage the heart and kidneys. Ask me how I know! Ds got strep when he was five and though he was on antibiotics in less than 24 hours from becoming symptomatic, he developed a tricuspid valve leak (quite bad one at that) from the bacteria...it's a nasty little bugger and it's evolved a bit so it isn't quite as easily managed with antibiotics as it used to be. Hence, the new rise in scarlet fever. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 If your dd has any symptoms of strep throat, she should be tested. She has a sore throat and is congested. She has a cough that is getting worse. No fever or rash though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Hence, the new rise in scarlet fever. Faith :confused: I've never seen any data showing a rise in scarlet fever. There has been an increase in rheumatic fever in the last 20 years, probably due to a more virulent strain of strep. But rheumatic fever is different than scarlet fever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Maybe the rises are local or underreported. Day cares and preschools in our area are struggling with it. Yes, rheumatic fever is different than scarlet fever, I never meant to imply they were the same only that they both begin from strep. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I had scarlet fever as a kid. I was 9 I think. Not one of those things that you expect! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akmommy Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Could this family have developed it as the result of untreated strep throat? When my brother was 15 we went for our normal summer visit with our dad and he forgot his meds, but because he was feeling better he didn't say anything to any body about it until he started to feel sick again and it had become Scarlet fever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petepie2 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 My DD's friend came down with scarlet fever a few weeks ago. She started complaining of a sore throat on Sunday night and had a rash by Tuesday morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Scarlet fever is no biggie. Strep throat with a rash. Antibiotics will take care of it just as quickly as they do "regular" strep. In the old days, people had problems with it because it turned into rheumatic fever. It's nothing now.....as long as you get it treated (as with all strep). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babysparkler Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 My ds10 had SF last month... a round of antibiotics took care of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Ditto what others have said about scarlet fever = strep w/ a rash. It's more common in small children, and they may not get a nasty sore throat, either. Regardless, it should be treated with antibiotics to avoid the complications that come from the body's natural reaction to it (autoimmune problems like rheumatic fever, etc.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all4them Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Also, FYI-- not all kids show classic strep symptoms. If mine get a vague tummy and head ache...it's strep. No sore throat or fever. Makes for LOTS of dr visits "just in case" :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Also, FYI-- not all kids show classic strep symptoms. If mine get a vague tummy and head ache...it's strep. No sore throat or fever. Makes for LOTS of dr visits "just in case" :( Yep! When mine were little, if one got strep, everyone got a quick throat culture, sometimes even Mom. I remember the ped telling me some kids get the rash, others don't. And that's how it worked with mine - one kid always got a rash with his strep, the others never did. Gosh, I'm glad they're older now, and the bugs are less easily shared! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I had scarlet fever a couple years ago. I was all "waaaah! Isn't that what killed a bunch of characters in victorian novels!?" :w00t::willy_nilly: Anyway, there are two strains of strep. There is strep a and strep b. One is much more common..I think strep b. Anyway, it is the less common variety that causes scarlet fever. All strep produces a toxin in the body. Some people have an allergic reaction to the toxin produced by the less common variety of strep. It is that allergic reaction that causes scarlet fever. Our family doctor said I was the first adult he ever treated for scarlet fever. Gee, thanks. It is terribly itchy. I wanted to jump out of my skin. It makes a distinctive rash. It also causes redness on the face. You skin with the rash sort of peels off. That was NOT fun. I had a spot between my eyebrows that took a year to really heal all the way. It was red and inflamed for the longest time. The worst part was my mouth. It got all sore and very red. The skin on my tongue sort of came away. it left me with a very raw mouth and I couldn't eat for days, even though I was very hungry. I remember thinking that the sore, raw mouth was what killed people. So, scarlet fever is just strep with benefits. I thought it was deadly strep or something but it isn't. I was lucky. I was pretty sure I had strep and went to the doctor right away. I had been on antibiotics for about 18 hours before the scarlet fever symptoms started. That meant I didn't have a bad case. I remember when the rash started I thought I was allergic to the antibiotic. I can't take penicillin so it's not impossible. Then I remembered reading something in a baby book about strep with a rash and I figured out what was happening. The doctor's office told me the treatment is the same with just plain strep or with scarlet fever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn in OH Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I had scarlet fever as a child. I thought I was going to go blind like Mary Ingalls. I was completely terrified until the doctor assured me that wasn't going to happen. I must have been somewhere between 8 and 10. I had strep throat multiple times as a child, although my Mom tells me it wasn't as often as I remember. I hated that darn penicillin. I haven't heard of anyone having Scarlet Fever in quite a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wy_kid_wrangler04 Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 Feeling much better and not so panicked!!! Thank you everybody :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I had scarlet fever as a child. I thought I was going to go blind like Mary Ingalls. :lol::lol: I'm sorry, but that really cracked me up! To the OP, glad your DD is feeling better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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