Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffThe best prevention strategies for scarlet fever are the same as the standard precautions against infections. Teach your child to practice the following healthy habits:
- Wash your hands. Show your child how to wash his or her hands thoroughly with warm soapy water.
- Don't share dining utensils or food. As a general rule, your child shouldn't share drinking glasses or eating utensils with friends or classmates. And that rule applies to food, too.
- Cover your mouth and nose. Tell your child to cover his or her mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing to prevent the potential spread of germs.
If your child has scarlet fever, wash his or her drinking glasses, utensils and, if possible, toys in hot soapy water or in a dishwasher.
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- Fort GG, et al. Rheumatic fever. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..C2009-0-38600-6--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&about=true&uniqId=230100505-53. Accessed Jan. 5, 2011.

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