Parents are being warned to be on the lookout for symptoms of scarlet fever amid a number of cases in Wigan.
The 'highly contagious', seasonal bacterial illness usually presents with a sore throat, fever, headaches, and a rosy rash that generally starts on a patient’s chest and mainly affects children. Cases usually peak between December and May. There have been 'a number of confirmed cases' in schools and nurseries across the borough, which has prompted the alert.
Professor Kate Ardern, the council's director of public health and the borough’s chief medical officer, said: "We have had a number of confirmed cases of scarlet fever in nurseries and schools across the borough.
Read more: I'll celebrate International Women's Day when periods are no longer a taboo
"Although scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, it does need to be treated with antibiotics to minimise the risk of complications and reduce the spread."
She said the rash can feel quite rough, like sandpaper, and a child's face can often be flush but pale around the mouth.
"We are putting some messages out to particularly our nurseries and early years settings and reminding our colleagues in primary care that scarlet fever is circulating in the borough," she said. "So if you think you or your child may have scarlet fever, please either see your GP or get in touch with NHS 111 as soon as possible.
"It's really important we do try and break the rate of transmission of scarlet fever. It sounds like a very old fashioned disease, which it is, but it's back on the rise again and we do need to try and contain it."
The NHS states that:
- The first signs of scarlet fever can be flu-like symptoms, including a high temperature, a sore throat and swollen neck glands (a large lump on the side of your neck).
- A rash appears 12 to 48 hours later. It looks looks like small, raised bumps and starts on the chest and tummy, then spreads. The rash makes your skin feel rough, like sandpaper.
- On white skin the rash looks pink or red. It may be harder to see on brown and black skin, but you can still feel it.
- A white coating also appears on the tongue. This peels, leaving the tongue red, swollen and covered in little bumps (called "strawberry tongue").
- The rash does not appear on the face, but the cheeks can look red.
- The symptoms are the same for children and adults, although scarlet fever is less common in adults.
To read more of our family and kids content, visit the website here.
Sign up to our Manchester Family newsletter here.
