Generality
The incubation time of scarlet fever is the time lapse that separates the moment of exposure to the pathogen responsible for scarlet fever from the time of appearance of the first symptoms of the infection just mentioned.
The incubation time of scarlet fever can vary from a minimum of one day to a maximum of 7 days; in most cases, however, it lasts between 2 and 5 days.
Example of exanthematous disease, scarlet fever is the acute infection resulting from the action of the group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus bacterium, whose presence determines characteristic red spots and / or spots on almost the whole body, fever, sore throat, pain abdominals, formation of a whitish patina on the tongue, headache and tachycardia.
Definition
What is the Scarlet Fever Incubation Time?
The incubation time of scarlet fever is the period from when there was exposure to the pathogen responsible for scarlet fever to when the first symptoms of the aforementioned infection appear.
In human beings, be they children or adults, the incubation time for scarlet fever is usually between 2 and 5 days ; in rare cases, however, it can happen that it lasts less (1 day) or more (up to 7 days).
Therefore, in summary, the incubation time of scarlet fever can vary between 1 and 7 days, although, in most cases, it is between 2 and 5 days.
To understand: review of Scarlattina
- Scarlet fever is an acute infectious disease that occurs due to the action of a bacterium called beta-hemolytic streptococcus of group A or Streptococcus pyogenes ;
- Scarlet fever is one of the most famous and widespread exanthematous diseases ; with the expression "exanthematous diseases" the doctors mean all those conditions of infectious origin, which produce a rash (or rash), or signs on the skin such as, for example, spots, redness, blisters, papules and / or pustules;
- Scarlet fever mainly affects children ; more particularly, it has a predilection for subjects aged between 3 and 10 years ;
The tendency of scarlet fever to afflict the young population is explained by the presence, in the 3-10 year old human being, of an immature immune system and unable to face at best a bacterium such as group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus;
- Scarlet fever can also affect infants, adolescents and adults, although these individuals are all in possession, for different reasons, of efficient immune defenses;
- Contracting scarlet fever does not give permanent immunity (so it is possible to get sick of scarlet fever) as there are many different strains (that is, many different variants) of group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus.
Did you know that ...
In human beings, in addition to scarlet fever, group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus can cause pharyngitis and skin conditions such as, for example, impetigo, erysipelas, cellulite and necrotizing fasciitis .
Incubation and Contagion
The incubation time of scarlet fever starts at the time of infection (ie when there is exposure to group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus).
Contagion from group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus can occur:
- Through the inhalation of droplets of saliva ( aerosol ) emitted, on the occasion of coughing, sneezing, etc., by a person infected by the aforementioned bacterium, or
- Through contact with objects contaminated by the aforementioned infectious agent, as passed into the hands of an infected individual.
How to prevent scarlet fever?
Since there is still no vaccine against scarlet fever, adults can control the risk of developing group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus infections only through precautions and precautions, such as:
- Avoid sharing cooking utensils and food . This care is justified by the fact that group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus survives for a long time on objects contaminated by it.
- Provide for the cleaning of everything that a scarlet fever or other group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus infection may have touched.
- Taking care of personal hygiene, especially that of the hands. Taking care of personal hygiene is an ideal behavior not only to prevent scarlet fever, but to prevent any infection in any type of patient.
What happens?
Is the future of the sick person contagious during the Time of Incubation of Scarlet Fever?
During the entire incubation time of scarlet fever and, in the absence of adequate antibiotic therapy, for the entire duration of the same scarlet fever, the infected individual is contagious, ie he is able to transmit scarlet fever to other individuals.
This explains why a person suffering from scarlet fever and, more generally, those who have contracted some group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus infection should respect a sort of isolation, in order to avoid transmission of the infection to others. people.
Did you know that ...
Appropriate antibiotic therapy against scarlet fever eliminates the degree of infectiousness of the disease after 24-48 hours.
Symptoms
With which Symptoms Does the Incubation Time of Scarlet Fever End?
The incubation time of scarlet fever ends when the latter produces the first symptoms associated with its presence in the human being.
As a rule, the manifestations of scarlet fever immediately following the incubation period are:
- Temperature;
- Widespread exanthema (that is to say over the whole body), characterized by dots or little spots of scarlet red;
- Formation on the tongue of a whitish patina;
- Sore throat and tonsil hypertrophy (hypertrophic tonsils);
- Abdominal pains;
- Tachycardia;
- Headache.
What is scarlet fever therapy?
Scarlet fever therapy involves:
- Administration of an antibiotic for at least 10 days . The antibiotic is essential to eliminate the bacterial agent that caused the infection from the body;
- Absolute rest until the end of the febrile state;
- The isolation of the patient, especially during the first days of the illness, to avoid the transmission of the infectious agent to other people;
- The implementation of a series of symptomatic treatments, especially against fever and sore throat, including: taking an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drug, drinking lots of water, humidifying the environment in which the patient is staying, consuming foods with a tender consistency or semi-solid and avoid exposure to irritants.
Variability
What does Scarlatin's Incubation Time depend on?
The duration of incubation time for scarlet fever varies from person to person, depending on certain factors, including:
- Infectious charge ;
- Presence or absence of other pathologies ;
- Level of efficiency of the immune system ;
- Psycho-physical stress level.
Does Age and Pregnancy Affect the Time of Incubation of Scarlet Fever?
The incubation time of scarlet fever is not affected either by the age of the infected person or, in the case of female patients, by a possible state of pregnancy ; this means that the incubation time of scarlet fever has the same duration whether the patient is a child, whether it is a baby, an adult or a pregnant woman.
