Highly contagious 'Victorian illness' breaks out at UK school as parents warned

dailystar.co.uk:

highly contagious disease rapidly spreading between children. Scarlet fever cases have been rising in England and it is believed many could fail to spot the signs after thinking the bug no longer exists.A dad was terrified when his child suddenly came down with what he thought was an "old Victorian disease".Health chiefs have confirmed that infections are mostly centred around the North West of England, including outbreaks in Wigan, Salford and Greater Manchester, The Sun reports.Symptoms typically include a red rash, sore throat, swollen tongue and flushed cheeks.

Thankfully most cases of the rare condition only causes a mild illness. Dr Merav Kliner, Interim Regional Deputy Director - North West, from the UK Health Security Agency, said: “It’s not uncommon to see a rise in cases of scarlet fever at this time of year."We are continuing to monitor rates of infection across the North West.“Scarlet fever is highly contagious but not usually serious and is easily treatable with antibiotics to reduce the risk of complications and spread to others."It is important to take antibiotics, as instructed by your GP, to minimise the risk of complications."It comes after parents received a warning from a school in Manchester that the virus had been spreading in classrooms.The letter from Bowker Vale Primary School, as reported by Manchester Evening News, read: "Dear families, we have been informed that a small number of children at Bowker Vale have been diagnosed with confirmed scarlet fever."Although scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, it should be treated with antibiotics to minimise the risk of complications and reduce the spread to others."Scarlet fever led to the death of children in the late 19th century.