Is scarlet fever back? The answer might be yes. Not only that, it looks like it's becoming antibiotic resistant.
In a new research by University of Queensland, the disease-causing bacteria have re-emerged, causing outbreaks in certain parts of Asia and the United Kingdom. In Hong Kong, for example, there have been a tenfold increase of reported cases while more than a hundred thousand cases were noted in China.
Also known as scarlatina, scarlet fever is an infectious disease caused by GAS (group A Streptococcus) bacteria. It normally affects children 10 years old and below. Documented as early as 1553, the disease is one of the major killers during the 1800s and 1900s, with an average of 250 deaths per 100,000 population in 1840. However, as treatments become better, the disease is believed to have virtually disappeared.
It is characterized by sore throat, fever, and strawberry-like-appearance tongue. Its most distinct feature is the appearance of rashes usually within 12 to 72 hours of the onset of fever. The rashes can be found in different areas of the body, although they normally begin around the chest and the armpit.
The condition doesn't have any vaccine, although by the time the child reaches 10 years old, he may already develop antibodies against the disease. Further, it can be treated the same way as a strep throat.
However, according to the Australian research, the bacteria causing the scarlet fever today may already be resistant to existing drugs, which means they are getting tricky to treat. The risk of developing a rheumatic heart disease, a serious complication of the condition, may also increase.
The team couldn't specifically determine the real triggers of the outbreak, but they believe many factors could contribute to it including the immunity of the people contracting the disease and environmental factors like temperature.
Fortunately, penicillin remains to be an effective treatment for people who don't have allergic reactions to it. The heightened awareness would also allow them to quickly identify the elements that lead to antibiotic resistance and monitor the outbreak caused by the strain.
The entire study is now available in Scientific Reports.
