A mum has told parents to be on red alert for a Strep A 'sunburn skin' symptom after her daughter was left with a rash that covered her 'head to toe'.
Sadie Learmonth has told the Daily Record how her daughter Khloe, 6, was was struck down with the potentially-deadly illness in September.
More than two dozen cases of the rare infection have been identified in England and Wales in the last week - as medics continue to monitor the out of season rise.
Latest data from the UK Health Security Agency confirmed there have been 94 deaths from Invasive Group A Streptococcus infections across England between September 12 and December 18. Cases of children being diagnosed with the infection rose in Scotland too.
Mrs Learmonth said she took Khloe to the GP surgery three times in three weeks. but that the doctors were unable to identify her symptoms as Strep A.
It left the schoolgirl feeling "ugly and paranoid" about the state of her body, her mum claimed.
The 33-year-old, from Irvine, Scotland, first noticed a lump on Khloe's neck before she later developed a sore throat and her skin turned bright red, itchy, and flaky.
She said: "Khloe was so upset and distressed about her skin.
"She wouldn't hug me, her dad or her one-year-old brother in case she passed the condition on. She kept saying she was ugly and was paranoid about people staring at her rash.
"I was crying my eyes out constantly because the doctors didn't know what was wrong with her."
Sadie told how medics first thought Khloe's symptoms were down to a simple cold, before saying it might be impetigo - a contagious skin infection that often starts with sores or blisters on the skin.
But after the youngster failed to improve with the antibiotics prescribed to help her, a third trip to the GP eventually led to a diagnosis of Scarlet Fever - a condition caused by the Strep A infection.
Three months on, Khloe is on the mend, but is still battling with stubborn red patches on her feet which have yet to disappear.
Looking back, Sadie is grateful that the burnt appearance of Khloe's skin provided a "physical'"symptom of the infection she could see and seek help for.
She explained that her daughter had otherwise shown very little sign that she had been struck down with what the mum now knows can be a life-threatening illness after the deaths of a number of children have been reported on around the UK.
Sadie added: "If that physical symptom wasn't there, I wouldn't have noticed there was anything wrong with her and I'd ask other parents to please keep an eye out for these signs.
Vicki Campbell, Head of Primary and Urgent Care Services, said: " NHS Ayrshire & Arran cannot comment on individual cases due to patient confidentiality.
We would encourage anyone with any concerns about the care or treatment provided to contact us directly. This allows us to investigate and provide feedback."
