First symptoms. The first symptom of scarlet fever is a case of strep throat that was not treated. Most people are unaware their child has strep, which means they might administer over-the-counter medication that doesn’t do the trick. This allows the infection to cause scarlet fever to develop, and that’s when issues with the skin become noticeable. The first sign of scarlet fever is a red rash on a child’s body. It’s bright red, and it almost always begins on a child’s face and travels south from that point. Red lines begin to appear anywhere there are folds of skin. A child’s face looks red and flushed as if they’ve been playing outside on a hot day, but the redness does not dissipate. Finally, a child may develop a bumpy tongue that takes on a white sheen.
