Philippines alert for Scarlet Fever

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) is reminding pediatricians in the country to be on alert for scarlet fever after Hong Kong declared a scarlet fever outbreak.

"Para sa mga pedia, inaabisuhan namin sila na mag-report agad kung kayo po ay tumitingin ng 10 taong gulang pababa na may sintomas ng scarlet fever," said Dr. Eric Tayag, director of the DOH's National Epidemiology Center.

Tayag is also warning overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong, especially those who are taking care of young children, to be careful.

Despite the scarlet fever outbreak in the former Crown colony, the DOH is not issuing any travel advisory telling Filipinos not to go to Hong Kong.

Background

Scarlet fever (known as scarlatina in older literature references) is an exotoxin-mediated disease arising from group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection. Ordinarily, scarlet fever evolves from a tonsillar/pharyngeal focus, although the rash develops in fewer than 10% of cases of "strep throat." The site of bacterial replication tends to be inconspicuous compared to the possible dramatic effects of released toxins. Exotoxin-mediated streptococcal infections range from localized skin disorders (eg, bullous impetigo) to the systemic rash of scarlet fever to the uncommon but highly lethal streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.