Characteristic red rash, produced by the strain of group A strep that produces the erythrogenic toxin
Source: 2013/04/scarlet-fever_4x3.jpg">Baby center
Pathophysiology
Usually spread by inhalation
Clinical features are mostly caused by an erythrogenic toxin, produced by the bacterium Strep pyogenes (group A strep) when it is infected by a certain bacteriophage
Tx
There is no vaccine
Disease is effectively Tx with antibiotics
Prognosis
Can cause late complications, including:
Glomerulonephritis
Endocarditis leading to heart valve disease
Epidemiology
Most commonly affects children
Before the availability of antibiotics, it was a major cause of death
Dukes' disease (fourth disease) is thought not to be different from scarlet fever, caused by exotoxin-producing Strep pyogenes. It was never associated with a specific pathogen, and the terminology is no longer in use. However, mysterious rashes in school kids often raises questions whether it is Dukes' disease
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