Scarlet fever - Complications 

Most cases of scarlet fever cause no complications.

On rare occasions, one of the following complications may occur:

• ear infection 
• throat abscess
• sinusitis 
• kidney inflammation
• pneumonia 
• rheumatic fever, which causes pain in the joints

Complications usually happen only if scarlet fever is not treated or if treatment is unsuccessful.

Very rare complications include:

• meningitis 
• acute kidney failure
• blood poisoning 
• necrotising fasciitis (a flesh-eating disease)
• toxic shock syndrome (a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection)
• osteomyelitis (infection of the bone)

You may have one of these rare complications if you are very unwell, in severe pain and have severe headache, vomiting or diarrhoea. See your GP if any of these symptoms appear in the first few weeks after the main infection has cleared up.