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Scarlet fever: guidance and data

The symptoms, diagnosis, management and epidemiology of scarlet fever (scarlatina).

Updates to this page

From:
UK Health Security Agency
Published:
1 July 2014
Last updated:
28 August 2025
Show all updates

  1. Rebranded page to UKHSA. No change to content.

  2. Added current season's report page, under epidemiology, and removed direct links to historical reports.

  3. Latest seasonal activity document inserted into the Epidemiology subgroup (2017/2018 season).

  4. Added 'Group A streptococcal infections: activity during the 2014 to 2015 season' to the collection.

  5. First published.

Scarlet fever occurs most often in the winter and spring. Symptoms include a rash, a sore throat, flushed cheeks and swollen tongue.

Scarlet fever is caused by Streptococcus pyogenes or group A streptococci (GAS) bacteria. Occasionally these bacteria can cause severe and life-threatening diseases.

Scarlet fever is a notifiable disease in England and Wales. This means health professionals must inform local health protection teams of suspected cases.

Diagnosis and management

In many cases, doctors can diagnose scarlet fever from the symptoms alone. If you need confirmation, send a throat swab for bacterial culture to the local microbiology laboratory. In certain cases, serology may also be of value.

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