Scarlet fever has reached its highest level in 20 years, reports BBC News

Public Health Wales (PHW) said the higher numbers could be related to the recent mild winter, but it had no firm evidence for that.

Speaking after the number of cases hit 139 last month, Dr Rhianwen Stiff, of PHW, advised parents to be vigilant of the symptoms.

At the time, children aged two to seven were the worst affected, and the highest number of cases was in Swansea.

She said: “Scarlet fever is highly contagious. Although most cases of scarlet fever are mild and will clear up in a week or so, a course of antibiotics can speed your recovery and will lessen the chances of spreading the infection to other people.”

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