Scarlet fever

Scarlet fever is an infectious disease caused by an infection with group A streptococcus - the same bacteria responsible for strep throat and various other skin infections. In the Western Pacific Region, it is a notifiable disease in China, Hong Kong (China), Macau (China) and the Republic of Korea.

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.