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Hospitals on alert as scarlet fever spreads
Sophie Goodchild, Health Editor3 Mar 2009
London hospitals are on alert today over a severe outbreak of scarlet fever.
Doctors have set up isolation areas in A&E units for children hit by the highly contagious infection.
There has been an unprecedented rise in cases in the capital, with 74 people diagnosed in the first three weeks of last month. This compares with only six cases reported to the Health Protection Agency in the first week in January, and 39 for the whole of the month.
The worst hit areas include Enfield and Redbridge.
Doctors fear vulnerable patients' lives could be put at risk by children attending A&E with scarlet fever.
Chelsea and Westminster is one of several hospitals to have set up special measures. Dr Ed Abrahamson, a consultant paediatrician there, said: "If a child is brought in with a suspected infectious rash they are seated in a separate area so they are not mixing with other patients in the waiting room."
Scarlet fever usually only occurs in children aged from five to 16. The bacteria can be passed on by coughing, sneezing or simply exhaling.
Symptoms, which take two to four days to develop, include a sore throat, vomiting, high temperature and a bright red rash. In severe cases it can cause chest problems.
The advice is to keep infected children away from others for five days after starting antibiotics.
Professor Steve Field, from the Royal College of GPs, said: "Probably the bacteria has mutated and in some people it will appear as tonsillitis and in others as a red rash and strawberry tongue. Parents shouldn't take children to A and E. If you have a rash or red tongue then you should go to your doctor."
Reader views (6)
Our 16 month has been diagnosed with Scarlet fever and no on Penicillian. She had a temp of 39.3 for 3 days, took her to drop in centre sat and was told it was a viral infection - stay on calpol, then on Sunday she was unconsolible and rash appeared ears, face back of neck and chest. I rang NHS Direct, they said they thought it was stress rash, in the end went back to drop in centre, I stressed I thought it may be measles, they left us for 1 hr in a room full of people and other children, we were dianosed within 5 mins....I just hope we've not infected others, can't believe they didn't put us in a seperate room to wait. We had tried to get a doctor to call out but was told we must attend drop in...
- Sharon, Peterborough, 24/08/2009 19:54
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yes we live in colchester my son got scarlet fever last week.
i have had sore throat for 5 weeks doctor said i may have passed it to him.
now i am really ill with flu like symptoms. 3 of us are now on penicillin
- Kate, colchester-england, 10/03/2009 11:26
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My 5 year old daughter came down with scarlet fever Saturday night, when it started it seemed as if she had gastric flu (vomiting) but then on the Sunday she had high fevers and a red rash. I phoned the nhs direct because I expected it to be scarlet fever as my daughter went to a birthday party a couple of weeks back where two of the children came down with it, I was assured that it had been to long for it to be scarlet fever and that the rash was sounding to be a heat rash any way on the Monday the rash had spread to her face and looked as if she had been either crying for a very long period of time or that she had been slapped in the face many times so I phoned the doctors and got her in has an emergency appointment, either way my comment to you is know the symptoms and we all know when our children are ill go with your instincts.
- Tina Malpass, walsall, 10/03/2009 09:27
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I am glad that London hospitals are taking such a sensible community stand.Four years ago my two small children went down with this.I repeatedly tried to get help for them as they had sky high temperatures,sore joints,swollen red tongues,a rash and continual vomiting.I was repeated ignored by a very poor community service.I reluctantly had to go to hospital(using a slow bus as we do not drive),taking an hour and a half each way.The particular community service tried to block us going to hospital, finally a normal diagnosis by normal people, my youngest had 4 courses of antibiotics, however my school were informed that by the original unprofessionals that nothing was wrong,so a section 2 disease not reported,and other children put at risk.To this day the Educational Welfare still comes after us down to the awful behaviour of the education department prompted by the wrong information from the NHS. Naturally we went through the formal pretend NHS complaints procedure for this incident and at least 8 others - naturally nothing was found to be wrong either with the PCT or the original nasty people who frightened my children when ill and made our lives a misery.I did not wish to take an infection into casualty but was given no choice.We were struck off for complaining and it took my children a full 10 months to fully recover. Some areas of the UK need to modernize beyond hiding complaint, especially if an area has received a warning letter from HCC re patient bullying/complaints
- Mary Foord-Brown, suffolk coastal, 03/03/2009 12:23
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I agree about not going to A&E but surely going to the GP surgery will also put other vulnerable people at risk, i.e. those who are immunosuppressed, those with heart conditions, cancer etc. Surely there is a case for anyone suffering from something such as scarlet fever to be seen at home in isolation? Or is this too much to ask of GPs nowadays?
- Sally Brooks, uk, 03/03/2009 12:22
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What a surprise.
- Helen, London, 03/03/2009 11:36
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