In order to make a scarlet fever diagnosis, the doctor will ask a number of questions about:

 

The doctor will also perform a physical exam to look for signs of scarlet fever. If the doctor suspects scarlet fever, he or she may recommend certain tests to make a scarlet fever diagnosis.

 

 

The best test for diagnosing scarlet fever is a throat culture. For a throat culture, the back of the throat is rubbed with a cotton swab to see if there is a streptococcus infection (group A streptococcus is the type of bacteria that causes scarlet fever and strep throat). If the throat culture is positive for group A streptococcus and the person has scarlet fever symptoms, a scarlet fever diagnosis will be made.