Scarlet Fever
Stuff You Missed in History Class
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The History of Scarlet Fever
In 1926 and 1927, two different pairs of researchers discovered a bacteriophage that could change a non-toxicgenic strain of strep into a toxicinic one. Today, in most children, scarlet fever clears up quickly as long as antibiotic treatment begins promptly. It's also not clear what has caused this most recent spike in scarlet fever cases that started toward the end of 2022.
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Scarlet fever is treatable with antibiotics, but in the middle of the 19th century, it was the leading cause of death in children in some parts of the world. Today, there are several ongoing mysteries about the disease.
Research:
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- Doherty Institute. “Scarlet fever is on the rise, after being almost eradicated by the 1940s.” 10/6/2020. https://www.doherty.edu.au/news-events/news/scarlet-fever-is-on-the-rise-after-being-almost-eradicated-by-the-1940s
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- Lee, Charles A. “Notes on the History and Pathology of Scarlatina.” Boston Medical Journal. 7/22/1835.
- Dick, George F. and Gladys R. Dick. “Immune Reactions in Scarlet Fever.” The Journal of Infectious Diseases, Vol. 19, No. 2 (Aug., 1916).” Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/30080317
- Radikas, Regina and Cindy Connolly. “Young Patients in a Young Nation; Scarlet Fever in Early Nineteenth Century Rural New England.” Pediatric Nursing. January-February 2007.
- Rolleston, J.D. “The History of Scarlet Fever.” The British Medical Journal. 11/24/1928.
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