This image displays the sandpaper-like appearance on the chin and a red tongue with red dots (red strawberry tongue) typical of scarlet fever. This image displays the previously pink, sandpaper-like rash of scarlet fever starting to peel and improve. This image displays the tiny pink bumps of scarlet fever beginning to peel as the patient improves. This image displays the faint pink sandpaper-like rash of scarlet fever on the neck and trunk. Numerous tiny red bumps of scarlet fever are sometimes more easily felt than seen (giving the typical sandpaper-like feel). This is the typical "white strawberry tongue" of scarlet fever, with a white coating with red dots on the surface.
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Scarlet Fever  A parent's guide to condition and treatment information

Picture of Scarlet Fever: This image displays the sandpaper-like appearance on the chin and a red tongue with red dots (red strawberry tongue) typical of scarlet fever. Divider line
This image displays the sandpaper-like appearance on the chin and a red tongue with red dots (red strawberry tongue) typical of scarlet fever.
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Overview
Scarlet fever is an infection with a type of bacteria called Streptococcus, which not only causes a throat infection ("strep throat"), but also produces a poison (toxin) causing the distinctive rash of scarlet fever. Some people are more sensitive to the toxin than others, so not everyone in a family who is infected will have the rash, even if they have the throat infection. Sometimes the area of infection is the skin rather than the throat, a condition called impetigo.

Scarlet fever is contagious to people who come into close contact with an infected child.

Complications are rare but can include deeper tissue infections, rheumatic fever, and kidney disease.
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Last Modified: 22 Dec 2008
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