Streptococcus Scarlet Fever Abi Peters January 2009

Streptococcus Genus of spherical, gram – positive, aerobic bacteria Belongs to the phylum Firmicutes and the lactic acid bacteria group Occur in pairs or chains Cellular division occurs along a single axis → chains Name comes from a Greek word which means easily bent or twisted like a chain

Transmitting Streptococcus Direct contact from person to person: droplets of spray from the infected person or holding hands Indirect contact: touching something that the infected person has touched and used like silverware

Entering The Body Streptococcus usually enters the body through the mouth or nose traveling through the respiratory tract It travels through the body and lays between the cells and the skin tissues in most cases Then the bacteria produces a toxin that causes several infections to occur

Common Diseases Strep throat Impetigo Erysipelas Cellulitis Necrotizing Fasciitis Wound Infections Toxic Shock Syndrome Puerperal Fever Rheumatic Fever Glomerulonephritis

Scarlet Fever Infectious disease caused by streptococcus The bacteria infects the throat, produces a toxin → scarlet fever Originally called Febris Scarlatina – from Latin Most common in children between two and ten Once very serious but now easily treatable

Through the Ages Some descriptions of scarlet fever date back to Ancient Greece about 2,500 years ago Many historians and physicians wonder if the plague of Athens which broke out in 430 B.C.E. was caused by an outbreak of group A streptococci More descriptions found in the 10 th century by Arab physicians First detailed paper written in 1553 by Italian physician Giovanni Filippo Ingrassia who called the disease “rossalia”

Lethal Epidemics 1824 – Tours, France 1831 – Dublin, Ireland 1832 – 1833 – Georgia, United States In some areas of England and the United States Scarlet fever was lethal and feared in the mid 1900’s. If someone became infected with scarlet fever they would be reported to the local police and hospital. They were usually quarantined as this sign from Connecticut says.

Thomas Sydenham (1624 – 1689) English Physician Educated at the University of Oxford Differentiated scarlet fever and measles

Symptoms Sore throat Fever above 101ºF Bright red tongue – “strawberry color” Peeling of the skin around the finger tips

The Rash Appears 1-2 days after the toxin is released into the body and hours after the fever Starts on the neck and chest and spreads out over the body except over the face Fine, tiny, red bumps “Sandpapery” texture Lasts for about a week and then fades slowly - fading may take up to a month

Diagnosis Blood culture is rarely positive Throat culture is usually most successful The rash is also important in diagnosis – the texture is more important than the look

George Fredrick Dick (1881 – 1967) American bacteriologist and pathologist Earned his M.D. degree from Rush Medical Collage in Chicago In 1924 Dick and his wife determined that scarlet fever was produced by a toxin form the hemolytic streptococcus bacterium group by inoculating people with a strain of the bacteria Then discovered an antitoxin for the disease

Treatment George Fredrick Dick developed the vaccine in the 1920’s Penicillin was then developed in the 1940’s Lots of rest is the best treatment A person with scarlet fever should not be infectious after 24 hours on antibiotics This picture shows the lasting red checks that scarlet fever leaves for up to three months

Bibliography Smith, Tara. Streptococcus(Group A). Deadly Diseases and Epidemics  Scarlet Fever  Streptococcus  Gram Positive  Thomas Sydenham  George Fredrick Dick  Scarlet Fever  Streptococcus