Scarlet fever is a contagious disease that mostly affects children, with symptoms such as fever, rash and redness of the tongue. We will tell you more about it and how it is transmitted.
Do we know if scarlet fever is contagious? Scarlet fever, as it is also called, is an acute infectious disease caused by the bacterial species Streptococcus pyogenes . According to scientific studies, of the 74 species that make up the genus Streptococcus, the named microorganism is one of the most virulent for humans.
This bacterium causes suppurative and non-suppurative pathologies in our species, such as pharyngitis, cellulitis, necrotizing fasciitis and rheumatic fever, among many others. This is why it becomes essential to focus on this pathogen from a clinical point of view. Here we tell you everything you need to know about scarlet fever and its ability to spread.
On the distribution of scarlet fever
According to epidemiological publications, scarlet fever is a pathology that mainly affects children. Below are some data that put the situation of this disease in perspective worldwide:
Asymptomatic Streptococcus pyogenes infections are present in 3 to 26% of healthy children in a given population.
Of infants with sore throats, up to 58% may be infected with the bacteria.
S. pyogenes is the streptococcus species most associated with epidemics. It is common for these cases to occur because of contaminated food.
An increase in scarlet fever epidemics has been documented in recent decades. One example is Vietnam in 2009, with over 23,000 documented cases.
As can be seen, although it is a pathology associated with ancient times, this pathogenic microorganism is still present in our society. This is why it is useful to know its modes of transmission. We present them to you below.
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