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Scarlet fever on the rise in the Midlands

Cases of scarlet fever in the Black Country and Staffordshire have more than trebled in a year, new figures have revealed.

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Since the start of the current season in September there have been 235 people diagnosed with the infectious disease - 106 of these have been reported in Dudley.

Between September 2013 and March 2014, there were 73 cases across the region.

Dudley –106

Sandwell – 51

Wolverhampton – 32

Walsall – 23

Stafford –14

Cannock – 3

The rise in the number of patients has been mirrored across the country but Public Heath England says the reason for the increase is not known. One idea is that is due to the natural cycle of the disease.

Health experts said this was the time of year when the highest number of scarlet fever cases are normally seen but they are likely to tail off after a few weeks.

They said there had been an 'exceptional' number of cases for the second year in a row.

Scarlet fever is more common in young children leaving sufferers with a sore throat, headache, fever and pinkish rash on the chest.

The rash, which appears within a day or two, can spread to other parts of the body. But the majority of cases remain reasonably mild, treated with a course of antibiotics. There is no vaccine for scarlet fever. The number of patients suffering from the illness in Dudley which has by far the highest in the region is up from 18 during the last scarlet fever season.

While in Sandwell 51 people have fallen ill, up from 12. There have been 32 cases in Wolverhampton compared with 29 in 2013/14. In Walsall the number has risen from 11 to 23. In Stafford and Cannock there have been a total of 17 cases compared with just three in the previous season.

Dr Theresa Lamagni, from Public Health England, said: "We're continuing to see a considerable increase in the number of people diagnosed with scarlet fever across England confirming this is the second season in a row with exceptionally high numbers. Scarlet fever is a seasonal disease and this is the time of year when the highest numbers of cases are typically seen.

"Given that the scarlet fever season should peak within the next few weeks, we should see a reduction in numbers soon, but in the meantime substantial numbers of people will continue to be affected. Historically, seasons of high incidence have been preceded by seasons of intermediate incidence and it remains possible that we will exceed last year's exceptional

high level of activity. The reasons behind this increase are unclear but may reflect long-term natural cycles in disease incidence."

"As scarlet fever is highly contagious, children or adults diagnosed with scarlet fever are advised to stay at home until at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment to avoid passing on the infection," added Dr Lamagni.

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