Fatal scarlet fever case probed

May 30, 2011

The Centre for Health Protection is investigating the death of a seven-year-old girl who had scarlet fever.
 
She came down with a fever, sore throat, vomiting and a skin rash on May 20. She saw a doctor but her condition worsened.
 
She was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital on May 27, but her condition deteriorated. She developed toxic shock syndrome and died on May 29.
 
She tested positive for Streptococus pyogenes (Group A), the bacteria that causes scarlet fever.
 
She had no recent travel history and her home and school contacts have no symptoms.
 
Scarlet fever usually affects children aged two to eight, and is transmitted via the respiratory route or direct contact with infected secretions. Antibiotics can treat the disease.
 
A total of 268 cases have been reported so far this year. There were 128 last year, 187 in 2009 and 235 in 2008. It was the first fatal case in five years.