City of York Council is urging parents to look out for the symptoms of scarlet fever after Public Health England (PHE) has reported widespread increases of the disease.

A total of 868 notifications have been received in England in the last four weeks compared to 591 for the equivalent period last year.

Scarlet Fever is mainly a childhood disease with around 90% of cases occurring in children under 10. It is most common in children between the ages of two and eight, with four year olds most likely to develop the illness. Adults of all ages can also catch scarlet fever, but the diesease is much less common in adults.

Symptoms of scarlet fever include:

• ◦Sore throat, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting
• ◦After 12-48 hours the characteristic fine red rash appears (it you touch it, it feels like sandpaper) on the chest and stomach, rapidly spreading to other parts of the body
• ◦Fever over 38.3C or higher is common
• ◦White coating on the tongue, which peels a few days later leaving the tongue looking red and swollen
• ◦Swollen glands in the neck
• ◦Feeling tired and unwell
• ◦Flushed red face but pale around the mouth
• ◦Peeling skin on fingertips, toes and groin, as the rash fades.

It usually takes two to five days from infection before the first symptoms appear.

It is important to remember that the exclusion periods for schools and nurseries for scarlet fever is 24 hours from the start of antibiotics.

Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, Director of Health and Wellbeing for City of York Council said: “Scarlet fever (sometimes called scarlatina) is an infectious disease caused by a bacteria. The same bacteria can also cause impetigo. The bacteria can be found on the skin or in the throat, where they can live without causing problems. However under some circumstances, they can also cause diseases like scarlet fever. It is highly contagious and is spread by sneezing, coughing or just breathing out near someone. Being aware of the symptoms and catching any confirmed cases as soon as possible will help to reduce the spread of the disease.”

Dr Mark Hayes, Chief Clinical Officer of NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group said: “Scarlet Fever is highly contagious. It takes around two to five days to develop symptoms after being infected and it is vital that the patient receives antibiotics.

To protect yourself from getting the illness you should:

◦Wash your hands often
◦Not share eating utensils with an infected person
◦Wash, or dispose of, handkerchiefs and tissues contaminated by an infected person
◦Be aware that you can catch scarlet fever by inhaling airborne droplets if someone with the illness coughs or sneezes in the air near you.”
If you suspect that you or your child has scarlet fever:

◦See your GP as soon as possible
◦Take the full course of any antibiotics prescribed by your GP
◦Stay at home, away from school or work for at least 24 hours after starting treatment, to avoid spreading the infection
For more information visit http://www.nhs.uk/ and search for scarlet fever.