Strep A  & Scarlet Fever Advice

Extracted from Government Guidance

Information to share with parents if child is displaying signs or symptoms of a sore throat. “As a parent, if you feel that your child seems seriously unwell, you should trust your own judgement. Contact NHS 111 or your GP if:

• your child is getting worse
• your child is feeding or eating much less than normal
• your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration
• your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38°C, or is older
• than 3 months and has a temperature of 39°C or higher
• your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or
• feels sweaty
• your child is very tired or irritable

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

• your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or
• their tummy sucking under their ribs
• there are pauses when your child breathes
• your child’s skin, tongue or lips are blue
• your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake

Good hand and respiratory hygiene are important for stopping the spread of many bugs. By teaching your child how to wash their hands properly with soap for 20 seconds, using a tissue to catch coughs and sneezes, and keeping away from others when feeling unwell, they will be able to reduce the risk of picking up or spreading infections.”

If there are any signs of symptoms of a skin rash the advice is to see a GP especially if it is sandpapery to touch.

Scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, but it is highly infectious. Therefore,
look out for symptoms in your child, which include a sore throat, headache,
and fever, along with a fine, pinkish or red body rash with a sandpapery feel.
On darker skin, the rash can be more difficult to detect visually but will have a
sandpapery feel. Contact NHS 111 or your GP if you suspect your child has
scarlet fever, because early treatment of scarlet fever with antibiotics is
important to reduce the risk of complications such as pneumonia or a
bloodstream infection. If your child has scarlet fever, keep them at home until
at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment to avoid spreading the
infection to others.

Scarlet fever is caused by bacteria called group A streptococci. These
bacteria also cause other respiratory and skin infections such as strep throat
and impetigo.   In very rare occasions, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause an illness called invasive Group A strep (iGAS). “

Please note

“Currently, there is no evidence that a new strain is circulating. The increase
is most likely related to high amounts of circulating bacteria and social
mixing.”
Both Strep A and Scarlet fever are usually effectively treated with antibiotics
From : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-update-on-scarlet-fever-and-
invasive-group-a-strep

Here are some Government leaflets:

PDF - Leaflet regarding Scarlett Fever and Strep A

PDF - Strep A Support Pack

Here are some more useful links about Strep A

UKHSA - Urgent public health message: Invasive Group A Strep Links:

Health Protection Report: Group A streptococcal infections: activity during the 2022 to 2023 season - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Guidance: Group A streptococcal infections: guidance and data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Safety netting documents: Safety netting & parent info sheets :: Healthier Together (what0-18.nhs.uk)

Notification of infectious diseases: Notifications of infectious diseases (NOIDs) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)