Editing Scarlet fever (section)

==Epidemiology==
Scarlet fever occurs equally in both males and females.<ref name="Usatine-2013"/> Children are most commonly infected, typically between 5–15 years old. Although streptococcal infections can happen at any time of year, infection rates peak in the winter and spring months, typically in colder climates.<ref name="Nelson2016" />

The morbidity and mortality of scarlet fever has declined since the 18th and 19th centuries when there were epidemics of this disease.<ref name="BMJ2018">{{cite journal|title=Managing scarlet fever|journal=BMJ|volume=362|year=2018|pages=k3005|issn=0959-8138|doi=10.1136/bmj.k3005|pmid=30166279|s2cid=52136139|last1=Drug Therapeutics |first1=Bulletin }}</ref> Around 1900 the mortality rate in multiple places reached 25%.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Tropical Infectious Diseases: Principles, Pathogens and Practice|last1=Guerrant|first1=Richard|last2=Walker|first2=David|last3=Weller|first3=Peter|publisher=Elsevier|year=2011|isbn=9780702039355|pages=203–211}}</ref> The improvement in prognosis can be attributed to the use of penicillin in the treatment of this disease.<ref name=Wessels2016/> The frequency of scarlet fever cases has also been declining over the past century. 

There have been several reported outbreaks of the disease in various countries in the past decade.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Basetti|first1=S.|last2=Hodgson|first2=J.|last3=Rawson|first3=T.M.|last4=Majeed|first4=A.|date=August 2017|title=Scarlet Fever: A guide for general practitioners|journal=London Journal of Primary Care|volume=9|issue=5|pages=77–79|pmc=5649319|doi=10.1080/17571472.2017.1365677|pmid=29081840}}</ref> The reason for these increases remains unclear in the medical community. Between 2013 and 2016 population rates of scarlet fever in England increased from 8.2 to 33.2 per 100,000 and hospital admissions for scarlet fever increased by 97%.<ref>{{cite news|title=Scarlet fever in England reaches highest level in 50 years|url=https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/20204029.article|access-date=2 January 2018|publisher=Pharmaceutical Journal|date=30 November 2017|archive-date=26 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126075436/https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/20204029.article|url-status=dead}}</ref> Further increases in the reporting of scarlet fever cases have been noted in England during the 2021–2022 season (September to September) and so far also in the season 2022–2023.<ref name="GovUK2022">{{cite web |title=Group A streptococcal infections: report on seasonal activity in England, 2022 to 2023 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/group-a-streptococcal-infections-activity-during-the-2022-to-2023-season/group-a-streptococcal-infections-report-on-seasonal-activity-in-england-2022-to-2023 |website=GOV.UK |access-date=22 December 2022 |language=en |archive-date=22 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222182806/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/group-a-streptococcal-infections-activity-during-the-2022-to-2023-season/group-a-streptococcal-infections-report-on-seasonal-activity-in-england-2022-to-2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[World Health Organization]] has reported an increase in scarlet fever (and iGAS – invasive GAS cases) in England, and other European countries during this time. Increases have been reported in France and Ireland.<ref name="WHO2022">{{cite web |title=Increased incidence of scarlet fever and invasive Group A Streptococcus infection – multi-country |url=https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON429 |website=www.who.int |access-date=22 December 2022 |language=en |archive-date=12 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240712213203/https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON429 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the US, cases of scarlet fever are not reported, but as of December 2022, the [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|CDC]] was looking at a possible increase in the numbers of invasive GAS infections reported in children.<ref name="CDC2">{{cite web |title=Increase in Invasive Group A Strep Infections, 2022 {{!}} CDC |url=https://www.cdc.gov/groupastrep/igas-infections-investigation.html |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=23 December 2022 |language=en-us |date=22 December 2022 |archive-date=22 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222172815/https://www.cdc.gov/groupastrep/igas-infections-investigation.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In late December 2022, the CDC's [[Health Alert Network]] issued an advisory on the reported increases in invasive GAS infections.<ref name="HAN">{{cite web |title=HAN Archive – 00484 {{!}} Health Alert Network (HAN) |url=https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2022/han00484.asp |website=emergency.cdc.gov |access-date=29 December 2022 |language=en-us |date=22 December 2022 |archive-date=29 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229091725/https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2022/han00484.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>