Brits are being warned about these three deadly Victorian-era diseases that are making a comeback - after a young woman caught scarlet fever at a packed gig.
You might think of whooping cough, syphilis, and scarlet fever as being consigned to the history books, but cases are on the rise in the UK.
In August 2024, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published data showing confirmed cases of whooping cough had risen to more than 10,000 between January and June 2024.
They also reported that between December 2024 and June 2024, there had sadly been 10 infant deaths attributed to the disease.
Whooping cough is an infection of the lungs and breathing tubes that can spread very easily and be serious.
The first signs are similar to a cold, such as a runny nose and sore throat, but after about a week, you will get coughing bouts that last a few minutes and are worse at night.
You may also make a 'whoop' sound while gasping for breath between coughs, have difficulty breathing, and infants may turn blue or grey.
They urged pregnant women to get vaccinated to protect their babies, as this allows protection to pass to their unknown baby in the womb so babies are protected from birth.
are making a comeback - after a young woman caught scarlet fever at a packed
gig.(Image: Kennedy News and Media)
Dr Mary Ramsay, Director of Immunisation at UK Health Security Agency, said: "Vaccination is the best defence against whooping cough and it is vital that young infants and pregnant women receive their vaccines at the right time.
"Pregnant women are offered a whooping cough vaccine in every pregnancy, preferably between 20 and 32 weeks.
"This passes protection to their baby in their womb so that they are protected from birth in the first months of their life when they are most vulnerable and before they can receive their own vaccines.
"With cases continuing to rise and, sadly, 10 infant deaths since the outbreak began last November, ensuring pregnant women are vaccinated has never been more important.
"Our thoughts and condolences are with families who have so tragically lost their baby"
UKHSA also reported that new data showed a 5% spike in syphilis diagnoses from 2023 to 2024, from 12,456 to 13,030.
According to the NHS, syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection, and if it isn't treated, it can cause serious and potentially life-threatening problems.
Symptoms include sores on your vagina, penis, or around your bottom and in other areas, including your mouth, lips, or hands.
You may also get white or grey warty growths on your vagina, penis, or bottom or a rash on your hands and feet as well as white patches in your mouth or flu-like symptoms and patchy hair loss on the beard, eyebrows and head.
To prevent syphilis, you should use a condom when having vaginal, anal or oral sex and make sure you complete treatment if you or your partner has syphilis.
Dr Hamish Mohammed, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: "Levels of STIs in the UK remain a big threat to sexual wellbeing.
"Those infections can have a major impact on your health and that of any sexual partners, particularly if they are antibiotic-resistant.
"If you’ve had condomless sex with new or casual partners, either in the UK or overseas, get tested for STIs and HIV at least annually, even if you don’t have symptoms.
"Regular testing protects both you and the people you’re having sex with."
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported that GP in-hours consultations for scarlet fever in the first three weeks of 2025 have seen a rise, but say it's is in line with normal seasonal patterns.
This comes after a woman who thought she caught the flu at a gig was left 'panicking' to learn she had actually contracted scarlet fever that 'wiped out' families in the Victoria era.
Indigo Duffy began developing what she thought was a sore throat after attending a 'really hot and packed' gig in a Brixton pub.
The 22-year-old assumed the symptom was the start of a flu or cold as she had also been to a music festival the week before
However, a few days later, when she hopped in the shower, she noticed her legs were covered in burning red welts.
Indigo, who is a self-employed vintage clothes seller, went to sleep and woke up the next day with a 'burning' rash all over her body.
Photos show the rash visible on her neck, face, and the disease's tell-tale rash of small raised bumps on her hand.
After googling her symptoms and suspecting she might have scarlet fever, she swiftly made her way over to the A&E department at Kingston Hospital.
Here, doctors confirmed she had scarlet fever and gave her a week-long course of antibiotics.
Scarlet fever was the leading cause of death in children in the late 1880s and early 1900s but declined significantly through the mid-20th century, which is why it is often referred to as a 'Victorian disease'.
It could wipe out all of a family's children in just weeks, according to the British Medical Journal.
After a week spent on the sofa, Indigo recovered from the disease but said she had very dry and peeling skin on her legs for two weeks afterward.
Now she is sharing her ordeal from late last year to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of scarlet fever, after particularly virulent strains were detected in the UK this year.
According to the NHS scarlet fever mostly affects young children and is a contagious infection.
Signs include flu-like symptoms and a rash of small, raised bumps that start 12 to 48 hours later and makes skin feel like sandpaper.
The NHS advises you should see your GP if you or your child have these symptoms, do not get better in a week, have chickenpox at the same time, are ill again following scarlet fever, or if you are feeling unwell after being in contact with someone who has it.
Indigo, who lives in Kingston, London, said: "I was like a sick Victorian child.
"It was a really packed gig, really hot, and then I had a really burning sore throat and I had no clue what it was.
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"I was like, 'I'll just hop in the shower, relax.' and then my legs were in burning red bumps and I was really confused what that was.
"It was really itchy and it also really stung. It was quite hot and stinging.
"When I first had the sore throat I thought, 'oh I've just caught the flu or a cold or something.'
"I thought I must have just had a sore throat because I'd been to a festival a week prior.
"I was just thinking of how it was a medieval disease and how it wiped out loads of people back in the day. It panicked me a little bit.
"It was a lumpy rash which was awful. The more you itched it, it kind of made it worse.
"In about two or three days I woke up and the rash was gone. It felt like waking up on Christmas.
"I just stayed on my couch the whole week. It sort of wiped me out a bit.
"My skin was really really dry and peeling for probably around two weeks after.
"Expect the unexpected, you don't think you're going to get a Victorian disease."
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