Today, there are many diseases that belong to the category of children. In this article, we will talk about how scarlet fever is transmitted. And also the most basic thing about this disease will be told.
What it is?
At the very beginning, you need to determine the main term that will be constantly referred to in this article. What is scarlet fever? A disease that has an infectious nature. Its main symptom and indicator is a small rash. It should also be said that this disease affects mainly children of preschool and school ages. How is scarlet fever transmitted ? This is a question that worries many parents. Most often - by airborne droplets.
Causes
Separately, you need to consider the causes of this disease. This disease occurs as a result of infection with streptococcus, which belongs to group A. Basically, the disease is transmitted from the carrier of the virus. There are several options:
- You can get infected from a patient not only with scarlet fever, but also with streptococcal pharyngitis or tonsillitis. The patient is especially dangerous in the early days of the disease.
- You can get infected from an apparently healthy person who, a certain time ago, was ill with scarlet fever. For some time (most often for three weeks), he still remains a carrier of streptococcus.
- A healthy person can also be dangerous. This happens if streptococci live on its mucous membranes. Such people, by the way, 15% of all living on the planet.
Routes of transmission of the disease in children
I would also like to talk about how scarlet fever is transmitted in children. There are two main ways that a virus can transition from a sick person to a healthy one:
- By airborne droplets. In this case, the child becomes infected from the carrier of the virus, when he sneezes, coughs, says.
- Through household items. The virus settles on household items that are used by both healthy and sick babies.
- In medicine, there are cases when a newborn child was infected with scarlet fever from the mother, passing through her birth canal.
Basically, the virus settles on the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx. Less often - on the mucous membranes of the genitals.
Symptomatology
Having figured out how scarlet fever is transmitted, you need to talk about the main symptoms that the child will have. However, first I want to say that the incubation period of this disease is from 1 to 10 days. The first signs of the disease:
- Weakness.
- Chills.
- Temperature increase up to 40 ° .
- There may be nausea, vomiting (because during infection there is a severe intoxication of the patient's body with streptococcal toxin).
Other symptoms that most often occur after the first three days of the onset of the disease:
- A small red rash appears on the skin. Most often it is localized on the cheeks, on the sides of the trunk, in the groin and on the extremities.
- Rashes can begin to peel off, this often causes severe itching.
- The child's tongue acquires a bright red color.
- If the baby has a scarlet fever, there will be a rash on the throat and on the palate.
- Pain in the lymph nodes.
Scarlet fever in adults
I also want to say that scarlet fever is a disease that can affect adults. However, this is extremely rare. Indeed, by the time of adulthood, a person most often develops immunity to this disease. Adult outbreaks are extremely rare. If this happens, then in the form of streptococcal pharyngitis, which occurs without a rash. The foci of the disease are most often localized in student dormitories, military barracks, etc.
Routes of transmission of the disease in adults
Scarlet fever is transmitted to adults, not just children. This is a contagious disease that can affect different age groups of the population. If we talk about adults, the main transmission routes can be as follows:
- Airborne droplet.
- Household, through a variety of household items.
- Alimentary or food. In this case, the infection enters the food at the time of its preparation. Its dairy products that do not boil, as well as jellies, are especially well tolerated.
- Through damage to the skin. Staphylococci can enter the mucous membranes through various wounds. In this case, the nearest lymph nodes will react first, they will begin to hurt. A rash will also appear around the site of infection.
Symptoms of scarlet fever in adults
If childhood scarlet fever does not develop too quickly, then an adult feels the onset of the disease very acutely. In addition, at first, according to the symptoms, this problem is easily confused with angina. The main indicators of the disease:
- Severe sore throat, especially when swallowing.
- On the tonsils may appear pale yellow plaque, sores.
- Submandibular lymph nodes are instantly inflamed and enlarged.
Further, the symptoms increase along with the onset of intoxication of the body. The temperature rises (up to 40 ° C), chills, nausea, vomiting occur (in the first days of the disease), then headaches are possible.
Diagnostics
Having figured out how scarlet fever is transmitted and whether it can affect adults, we now describe how this disease can be detected. So, the doctor will easily determine it at the first examination of the patient. If a child is sick, you need to go to the pediatrician. If an adult - to the therapist. In some cases, a blood test may be prescribed to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment
Since scarlet fever is caused not by a virus, but by a bacterium, the use of antibiotics will be relevant. It is these drugs that are actively fighting streptococcus, stopping the spread of infection throughout the body within a day. What drugs will help?
- If the patient has a mild form of the disease, then macrolides and penicillins will be relevant. These are such drugs as Erythromycin, Azimed (for adults - in tablets, for children - in the form of a suspension). The term of treatment with these agents is 10 days.
- If the patient has a moderate form, injections are needed. In this case, for the injection, such a drug as Oxacillin will be relevant (course of treatment - 10 days).
- In severe forms of the disease, cephalosporins of the first and second generations are prescribed. These may be drugs such as Vancomycin or Clindamycin. The course of treatment is from 10 to 14 days. These medications are administered intravenously.
Other medicines
Having understood whether scarlet fever is transmitted, and how it can be infected, you should also learn about those drugs that can be used for treatment along with antibiotics. After all, it is the complex treatment that will be most effective. What else can a doctor prescribe?
- Antiallergic drugs. It can be such drugs as Cetrin, Loratadin. They prevent the spread of an allergic reaction that can occur on the skin.
- Antipyretic drugs. Actual in the early days of the disease, when the temperature can rise to maximum levels. In this case, you can take "Ibuprofen", "Paracetamol."
- Means may also be prescribed to help deal with sore throat. These are drugs such as Chlorophyllipt, Furacilin.
- If the patient's condition is very serious, glucose and saline can be administered intravenously. This is important to maintain the water-salt balance in the body.
It is also worth mentioning that most often treatment for scarlet fever can be carried out at home. However, in some situations, the patient needs to be hospitalized (in case of severe illness).