Scarlet fever in adults pictures show what the illness looks like on different skin tones. It’s important to see a doctor when you or someone in your family develops a rash that comes with a sore throat and fever. Early treatment can reduce the likelihood of serious complications from strep throat, such as rheumatic fever and heart valve disease.

How do you confirm scarlet fever?

Strep throat is caused by the scarlatina la adulti poze Group A Streptococcus (strep). This bacteria usually causes a sore throat and other symptoms, but it can sometimes produce an endotoxin that leads to a distinctive pink-red rash that feels like sandpaper on the skin. The rash also can cause itching. The rash most often appears on the chest and abdomen, but it can spread to other areas of the body and to the neck and ears. It may take two to five days after a person becomes infected with group A strep for the characteristic rash to appear.

People infected with group A strep can spread it to others by talking, coughing or sneezing. They can also spread it by touching their hands to their face or eyes or to other parts of the body that have come into contact with the bacteria.

A health professional can diagnose scarlet fever by swabbing the back of the throat and tonsils and running a test, called a rapid strep test. A throat culture takes longer to see if the bacteria grow from the swab, but this test can find infections that the rapid test misses.