Red alert: why is scarlet fever spreading across Britain?

Red alert: why is scarlet fever spreading across Britain? :

There are a tremendous amount of cases this year in the UK..

Reporting from the GUARDIAN:

Could the spread of scarlet fever be down to us forgetting about this infection and failing to diagnose it quickly enough to stop to spreading? Lamagni thinks this is unlikely, because most parents wouldn’t ignore its distinctive sandpapery, red rash, which usually first appears on the chest and stomach, alongside a fever and a swollen tongue.

The current outbreak remains a mystery, but it has left me convinced of one thing: that my children will catch it just in time for the Easter holidays.