What are the signs of scarlet fever? Rosanna Davison warns parents after toddler becomes ill
The mother-of-three said she got the "biggest fright". Picture: Jason Clarke
Rosanna Davison recently issued a warning to her Instagram followers after her daughter became unwell with scarlet fever. The mother-of-three urged parents to trust their instincts because, as she discovered, the situation can quickly deteriorate — but what are the signs you need to look out for?
Davison’s daughter Sophia first developed a fever, but the three-year-old’s condition quickly took a turn.
Explaining what happened, Davison said: "A couple of days ago Sophia had a temperature and was complaining of a sick stomach so I kept her home from school.
"Yesterday morning I took her temperature, and it was fine. I did feel she was a little quieter than her normal bubbly self, but we headed out for a walk anyway.”
The family wasn’t on their walk long when Sophia began to go downhill and developed “a flushed red rash across her face” which Davison described as like “little red bumps” — but, it was her tongue that gave her “the biggest fright”.
"It was bright red, little sore bumps all over it — quite similar to the rash on her face — and a white coating in the centre. She was drowsy and lethargic and was developing a temperature at this stage.”
After taking her to the hospital, Sophia was diagnosed with scarlet fever and prescribed a 10-day course of antibiotics.
Davison said she was sharing her experience for other parents and urged them to “trust your instincts and don't take any chances with their health...the situation can deteriorate quite rapidly”.
Here’s what you need to know about scarlet fever.
According to the HSE, scarlet fever is a contagious infection that mostly affects young children. It is treated with antibiotics.
Strep A, which we have heard about in the news recently, can cause many infections including scarlet fever and strep throat.
Before Christmas, there was a surge in the number of scarlet fever cases in Ireland.
The first sign of scarlet fever is usually flu-like symptoms such as a high temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or more, a sore throat and swollen glands.
A child's cheeks may also appear to be red.
12 to 48 hours later, a rash appears that looks like small, raised bumps. This usually starts on the chest or stomach before spreading. The rash is rough and feels like sandpaper.
A white coating also appears on the tongue. When this coating peels, the tongue is left looking swollen and covered in small bumps.
Scarlet fever lasts for around one week but you can spread it to other people up to six days before you get symptoms and until 24 hours after taking the first dose of antibiotics.
The bacteria are spread through contact with an infected person or by contact with infected skin lesions.
Bacteria can be passed on from close contact such as kissing or skin contact.
As mentioned, scarlet fever is treated with antibiotics. Alongside a course of antibiotics, you can also help to relieve symptoms by drinking cool fluids.
- For more, see hse.ie
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