Scarlet Fever Spikes in the UK 

By Kelly Faircloth  |  March 11, 2016 | 5:05pm
Latest

The world is full of opportunities to live like a Victorian, if you look hard enough. For instance: The U.K. is worried about rising rates of scarlet fever.

That’s according to the BBC. Public Health England warns that cases in England and Wales jumped from 4,642 in 2013, to 15,625 in 2014, to 17,586 in 2015. That’s the most since 1967. And 2016 isn’t shaping up any better, either: “PHE said about 600 cases are being flagged up each week in England, and further increases are expected as the infection comes into it the peak season – which typically occurs between late March and mid April,” the BBC notes.

Consequently, PHE wants doctors and patients alike on the lookout. “Patients who do not show signs of improvement within a few days of starting treatment should seek urgent medical advice,” warned Dr Theresa Lamagni, who noted that possible complications include pneumonia and ear infections.

This isn’t a case of vaccine deniers run amuck; there’s no vaccine for scarlet fever. The reasons for the spike aren’t clear, either; it “may reflect the long-term natural cycles in disease incidence seen in many types of infection,” according to PHE.

Good luck out there!

Contact the author at [email protected].

Photo via Getty.

 
Join the discussion...