SCARLET FEVERSTREPTOCOCCUS

Sarah Florreich

WHAT IS IT?

Streptococcus is a group of bacteria, familiarly known as strep, that cause a multitude of diseases, such as strep throat, pneumonia, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever and others

Scarlet Fever is an acute communicable disease (usually in children) characterized by fever and a red rash.

ORGANISM

Scarlet fever is essentially a strep throat with a distinct rash. Its incubation period is ~ 7-10 days. Since it is a bacterial infection.

Scarlet Fever spreads the same way most diseases spread, through sneezes and coughs

ALL ABOUT THE ORGANISM

Bacteria might cause no symptoms of disease, but they can also cause infections that range from mild to life-threatening.

Caterpillar looking

VICTIMS

Children Rash and sore

throat

Usually affects thousands of children a year.

HIDE OUT

Usually in nasal fluids. The rash itself is located somewhere on the skin.

THE CURE!

Begin a ten day treatment with antibiotics to treat scarlet fever.

Ensure the patient gets plenty of fluid and bed rest. Aspirin should not be given to anyone with an infection under the age of 20 years since it can damage the liver.

SOURCES

http://www.dhpe.org/infect/strepa.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_2079192_treat-scarlet-fever.html

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/skin/scarlet_fever.html