Scarlet fever is considered a rare health problem in the United States. Medical professionals diagnose fewer than 20,000 cases of this illness every year, which breaks down to a few more than 50 cases per day. Compare this number to the flu, which is considered very common. Flu viruses are diagnosed in the US more than 3 million times every year, which is more than 8,219 times per day. It’s rare because it only develops in people who suffer from strep throat, and most of those people leave their own health problem untreated.
Information. Before modern medical advances, scarlet fever was a leading cause of death in children. It rarely occurs to children over the age of 15, and modern medicine has made it possible to treat scarlet fever without the fear of death. If it’s left untreated, however, it can cause serious health problems to various parts of the body. The kidneys and the heart are two of the organs that are most affected by an untreated case of scarlet fever. It also affects the ears, the lungs, and even the blood of those who have it and don’t see a doctor. There is not a vaccine to prevent it from occurring, but there are antibiotics available to treat this condition.