SCARLET fever cases in the county hit a three decade high in Wiltshire last month.

Monitoring by Public Heath England revealed 22 new cases of the infection in Wiltshire in the last week of March - double the number in the previous week. There was just one case confirmed in Swindon, however.

Health bosses have warned of a nationwide rise in Scarlet Fever. Dr Bayad Nozad of Public Health England told BBC Wiltshire this morning: “The increase is part of a wider issue spread of the bacteria in the country.

“This is just a signal. We’ve been monitoring the notifications [of Scarlet Fever] across the country, the county and locally and we’ve seen a significant increase in the cases over the past five years.”

Mum Emma Rees said she and her partner were left “worried” when daughter Florence, four, contracted the disease in February.

Emma told the BBC Wiltshire breakfast show: “She was very, very tired. She was sleeping quite a bit when she came home in the afternoon. We knew she wasn’t herself and then she was vomiting quite a lot.

“We weren’t entirely sure what it was, then the following day a rash appeared on her back and her cheeks became quite red.”

In February, public health chiefs urged parents to be watchful for signs of scarlet fever in their children. Among the symptoms are sore throats, headaches and fever, with a characteristic rash that feels like sandpaper.

Children and adults diagnosed with scarlet fever should stay at home for at least 24 hours after starting a treatment of antibiotics.

Nick Phin, deputy director at Public Health England, said: “It’s not uncommon to see a rise in cases of scarlet fever at this time of year. Scarlet fever is not usually a serious illness and can be treated with antibiotics to reduce the risk of complications and spread to others.

“We are monitoring the situation closely and remind parents to be aware of the symptoms of scarlet fever and to contact their GP for assessment if they think their child might have it.

“Whilst there has been a notable increase in scarlet fever cases when compared to last season, greater awareness and improved reporting practices may have contributed to this increase.”