infections
Streptococcal Infections
Symptoms of Strep Infections
Symptoms of streptococcal infections vary, depending on where the infection is: Cellulitis : Impetigo and Ecthyma : Necrotizing Skin Infections : Strep throat ( Throat Infection ): Scarlet fever:A rash appears first on the face, then spreads to the trunk and limbs. The rash feels like coarse sandpaper. The rash is worse in skinfolds, such as the crease between the legs and the trunk. As the rash fades, the skin peels. Red bumps develop on the tongue, which is coated with a yellowish white film. The film then peels, and the tongue appears beefy red (strawberry tongue). Scarlet fever is uncommon today, but outbreaks still occur. It tends to spread when people have close contact with each other—for example, in schools or day care centers. Scarlet fever occurs mainly in children, usually after strep throat but sometimes after streptococcal skin infections. If untreated, streptococcal infections can lead to complications. Some complications result from spread of the infection to nearby tissue. For example, an ear infection may spread to the sinuses, causing Sinusitis , or to the mastoid bone (the prominent bone behind the ear), causing Other complications involve distant organs. For example, some people develop kidney inflammation ( Glomerulonephritis ) or Toxic Shock Syndrome causes rapidly progressive and severe symptoms that include fever, rash, dangerously low blood pressure, and failure of several organs. It is caused by toxins produced by group A streptococci or 