WHO China
Scarlet fever (sometimes referred to as scarlatina) is predominantly a childhood disease, though it can also occur in older children and adults. The incidence and mortality rates associated with this once-feared disease have significantly decreased since the use of antibiotics.
Scarlet fever is an infectious disease caused by the group A streptococcus – the same bacterium responsible for streptococcal throat or skin infections. In the Western Pacific Region, it is a notifiable disease in China, Hong Kong (China), Macau (China) and the Republic of Korea.
