Berlin.
The scarlet fever in Germany does not abate. If you want to know whether your child is infected, you can pay attention to certain details.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Berlin, which is responsible for monitoring diseases, continues to record a large number of bacterial infections in children. Especially those caused by streptococci scarlet fever disease been widespread since December. According to experts, this probably has something to do with the corona pandemic.
Scarlet fever is not a notifiable disease, there are no exact figures. Nevertheless: The RKI roughly traces the course of the disease. This is based on reports from the National Reference Center for streptococci.
The RKI recorded the beginning of the wave of illness at the end of November or beginning of December. The wave then leveled off slightly, but rose again in the course of January. In December, the European health authority ECDC and the World Health Organization WHO also asked parents and doctors to increase their number alertness called.
Scarlet fever: How can the current wave be explained?
Observations by the professional association for paediatricians (BVKJ) support this picture. “However, the waves of illness do not run in everyone The region Germany with the same intensity,” says association spokeswoman and pediatrician Tanja Brunnert on request. In southern Lower Saxony, for example, the wave arrived later than in Münsterland. The BVKJ does not expect the situation to ease until April.
“The sharp increase observed could have been favored by the simultaneous widespread spread of respiratory viruses, which also Risk of invasive bacterial infections can increase,” writes the RKI. also read: RS virus: This is how dangerous an infection is for small children
The BVKJ also justifies the wave with the corona protection measures. Since the end of January 2020, many illnesses have not been experienced or have been experienced less. This apparently results in a certain catch-up effect. “We saw in the Pandemic different waves of infection. Hopefully this will return to the pre-pandemic level in the future when it is over,” says Brunnert. According to the doctor, these phenomena should be scientifically processed. “Here, research must also be carried out into the consequences of infections after a long period of isolation.”
Scarlet fever: Children under the age of 15 are particularly affected
Streptococci are bacteria that trigger various diseases, such as inflammation of the middle ear, throat, paranasal sinuses or tonsillitis – but also scarlet fever. According to the RKI, children under the age of 15 are particularly affected, but currently also many people between the ages of 25 and 45 throat swab together with analysis, streptococci can be detected.
“Scarlet fever is one of the most common bacterial infectious diseases in children,” explains the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA). The scarlet fever bacteria, so-called A streptococci, occur worldwide and usually cause a feverish sore throat and – after one or two days – an itchy one skin rash. This spreads over the armpits, the chest and the groins, sparing the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, to the whole body.
According to the BZgA, the so-called raspberry tongue: “First the tongue is white, after a few days it turns red.” In children, scarlet fever is often accompanied by abdominal pain and vomiting.
Scarlet Fever: This is how the disease is transmitted
Scarlet fever is highly contagious. Therefore, the disease occurs more frequently in day care centers and schools. “Most of the time they are pathogen in the pharynx. When speaking, coughing or sneezing, these get into the air via the finest droplets of saliva and adhere to the mucous membranes of contact persons when inhaled,” explains the BZgA. A smear infection via shared objects is rather rare. Since immunity is only generated against the toxin that predominated in the previous infection, multiple infections are possible. Also read: Viruses everywhere: How you can strengthen your immune system now
A sore throat with fever and skin rash should always be checked out by a doctor, advises Tanja Brunnert. “We pediatricians distinguish between scarlet fever and a streptococcal disease of the throat and tonsils. Depending on the age of the child and the overall view of the symptoms, we decide whether a antibiotic treatment is necessary and useful.”
Scarlet Fever: Such is diagnosis and treatment
If scarlet fever is treated with antibiotics, according to the BZgA, there is no infection 24 hours after the first intake risk of infection more. “Without antibiotic therapy, patients are contagious up to three weeks after the first symptoms,” explains the Federal Center. A vaccination against scarlet fever is not available.
Possible complications According to the BZgA, scarlet fever is inflammation of the middle ear, the sinuses and the lungs. Rather rare, but a feared late effect is acute rheumatic fever with inflammation of the large joints such as knees, heart or kidneys. This can result in permanent damage.
“Complications are observed more frequently if scarlet fever has not been treated with antibiotics or if antibiotic therapy is stopped prematurely,” according to the BZgA. “The complications of scarlet fever are very rare in western industrialized countries,” says Tanja Brunnert. “This Angst we can generally take away from the parents.”
Important to know: Heads of community facilities, such as day care centers or schools, have German Infection Protection Act the obligation to notify the responsible health authority immediately if persons cared for or cared for in their facility fall ill with scarlet fever or are suspected of having it. Infected people are allowed to loud Law do not carry out any teaching, educational, nursing, supervisory or other activities in which they are in contact with those cared for there and also no longer enter the facilities.
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