SCARLET fever has been confirmed in schools in Bournemouth and Christchurch.

And there are two-and-a-half times as many confirmed cases across the Wessex region as last year.

Parents of pupils at both Christchurch Infants and Christchurch Junior have received letters warning them to look out for symptoms of the illness.

A note to parents on the junior school website says: "Please be advised that we have a child in Year 3 with a confirmed diagnosis of Scarlet Fever.

"If you have any concerns at all please contact your GP. Children with Scarlet Fever may return to school 24 hours after starting a course of antibiotics."

 Parents of infants were also told a child has been confirmed as having Scarlet Fever. Neither school wished to comment to the Daily Echo.

Deep cleaning is underway at St Peter's senior site in Southbourne after a sixth form student was confirmed to have the illness.

Head teacher David Todd said the student had been sent home and added: "We immediately alerted staff and parents at the Southbourne site and we have instigated deep cleaning of classrooms and areas where the student has worked recently."

Public Health England (PHE) said there have been 302 cases in Wessex in the "season" from September to March, compared with 119 in the same period last year.  Confirmed cases in Bournemouth have jumped from five to 15.

Across England there have been roughly 6,000 confirmed cases since September.

Advice from the NHS reveals that symptoms take two to five days to appear after infection and it often starts with a sore throat, headache and high temperature. A rash develops 12 to 48 hours later.

Information for parents says: "Red blotches are the first sign of the rash. These turn into a fine pink-red rash that feels like sandpaper to touch and looks like sunburn.

"The rash usually starts in one place, but soon spreads to other parts of the body. It commonly affects the ears, neck, chest, elbows, inner thighs and groin, and may be itchy.

"It does not normally spread to the face. However, the cheeks become flushed and the area just around the mouth stays quite pale. The rash will turn white if you press a glass on it."

It says the rash usually fades after about a week.

Other symptoms may include:

•Swollen neck glands

•Loss of appetite

•Nausea or vomiting

•Red lines in the folds of the body, such as the armpit.

•A white coating on the tongue, which peels a few days later leaving the tongue red and swollen

•A general feeling of being unwell

Dr Theresa Lamagni, PHE’s head of streptococcal infection surveillance, said: “This is the second season in a row with exceptionally high numbers.

"The reasons behind this increase are unclear but may reflect long-term natural cycles in disease incidence.

GPs as well as schools and nurseries should be mindful of the current high levels and inform local health protection teams if they become aware of cases, especially if more than one child is affected. "

Scarlet fever is mainly a childhood disease and is most common between the ages of two and eight years. It was once a very dangerous infection, but although much less serious now, complications can arise, particularly in those who remain untreated."