Scarlet Fever
Stuff You Missed in History Class
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What Is Scarlet Fever?
There are references to various childhood fevers and rashes in medical texts from the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Asia. Accounts describing scarlet fever as a distinct illness started to develop in the 16th century. It's likely that there were strains of streptococcus present in much of the world prior to the 15th century but that scarlet fever specifically was introduced to some places during colonization including the Americas, Australia and New Zealand.
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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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- Lamagni, Theresa et al. “Resurgence of scarlet fever in England, 2014–16: a population-based surveillance study.” The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Vol. 18, Issue 2. February 2018. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(17)30693-X/fulltext?elsca1=tlpr
- Ferretti, Joseph and Werner Köhler. “History of Streptococcal Research.” From “Streptococcus pyogenes : Basic Biology to Clinical Manifestations.” Ferretti JJ, Stevens DL, Fischetti VA, editors. Oklahoma City (OK): University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK333430/
- 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
- Potter, Christina. “Scarlet Fever Makes a Comeback.” Outbreak Observatory. Johns Hopkins. 12/12/2019. https://www.outbreakobservatory.org/outbreakthursday-1/12/12/2019/scarlet-fever-makes-a-comeback
- Lynskey, Nicola N. et al. “Emergence of dominant toxigenic M1T1 Streptococcus pyogenes clone during increased scarlet fever activity in England: a population-based molecular epidemiological study.” The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Vol. 19, Issue 11. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(19)30446-3/fulltext
- Tatiana Ninkov and Mike Cadogan, "Second disease," In: LITFL - Life in the FastLane, Accessed on January 25, 2023, https://litfl.com/second-disease/.
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- Ledford, Heidi. “Why is strep A surging — and how worried are scientists?” 12/9/2022. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-04403-y
- Thomas Sydenham, ""On Scarlet Fever" [Excerpt]," in Children and Youth in History, Item #156, https://cyh.rrchnm.org/items/show/156 (accessed August 10, 2021). Annotated by Lynda Payne
- Klein, E. “The Etiology of Scarlet Fever.” Proceedings of the Royal Society of LondonVolume 42, Issue 251-257. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/epdf/10.1098/rspl.1887.0030
- Duncan CJ, Duncan SR, Scott S. The dynamics of scarlet fever epidemics in England and Wales in the 19th century. Epidemiol Infect. 1996 Dec;117(3):493-9. doi: 10.1017/s0950268800059161. PMID: 8972674; PMCID: PMC2271647.
- Klass, Perri. “Fever Dreams.” Harvard Medicine. Autumn 2022. https://hms.harvard.edu/magazine/handed-down/fever-dreams
- Davenport, Romola J. “Urbanization and mortality in Britain, c. 1800–50.” Economic History Review. 2/21/2020. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ehr.12964
- Thomson, Arthur S. et al. “History of the First Epidemic of Scarlet Fever which Prevailed in Auckland, New Zealand, During the Year 1848.” The Lancet. Vol. 55, Issue 1376. January 12, 1850. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(02)88319-2/fulltext
- Kaiser, Albert D. “Scarlet Fever.” The American Journal of Nursing , Jun., 1915, Vol. 15, No. 9 (Jun., 1915). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3404148
- Eyler, John M. “The Epidemiology of Milk-borne Scarlet Fever: The Case of Edwardian Brighton.” American Journal of Public Health. May 1986, Vol. 76, No. 5.
- Wilson, Leonard G. “The Historical Riddle of Milk-borne Scarlet Fever.” Bulletin of the History of Medicine. Fall 1986. Vol. 60, No. 3. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44442285
- Scamman, Clarence L. “Milk-Borne Septic Sore Throat and Scarlet Fever.” American Journal of Public Health. December 1929. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1581415/
- 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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