In its heyday, in the 1800s, scarlet fever — an infection caused by toxins produced by Group A streptococcus, the same bacterium that causes strep throat — was so dreaded it was a plot point in several famous novels, including Louisa May Alcott’s bestselling 1868 novel, Little Women (the infection claimed the beloved character Beth March), and The Velveteen Rabbit,… Continue reading Scarlet Fever: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment