Roseola
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Diseases & Conditions
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INFECTIOUS
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Roseola is a generally mild viral illness that
usually affects babies and young children. The
condition typically causes several days of
fever,
followed by a rash.
The disease also has other names; Roseola
infantum, exanthematous fever, and three-day-rash.
Two common strains of the herpes virus cause
roseola. It usually affects children between 6
months and 3 years of age, though it occasionally
affects adults. It's extremely common - so common,
in fact, that most children have been infected by
the time they enter kindergarten.
Some children develop only a very mild case of
roseola and never show any clear indication of
illness, while others experience the full range of
signs and symptoms. The infection can occur at any
time of the year.
Roseola typically isn't serious. Rarely,
complications from a very high
fever can result.
Treatment includes bed rest, fluids and medications
to reduce fever.
Screening and diagnosis
Roseola can be difficult to diagnose because initial symptoms are
similar to those of other common childhood illnesses, such as the common
cold or an ear infection. If it's clear that no cold, ear infection,
strep throat or other common condition is present, your doctor may wait
to see if the characteristic rash of roseola begins. Your doctor may
tell you to look for the rash while you treat your child's fever at
home.
Doctors confirm a diagnosis of roseola by the telltale rash or, in some
cases, by a blood test to check for antibodies to roseola.
Complications
Occasionally children with roseola experience a seizure brought on by a
rapid rise in body temperature. If this happens, your child might
briefly lose consciousness and jerk his or her arms, legs or head for
several seconds to minutes. He or she may also lose bladder or bowel
control temporarily.
If your child has a seizure, seek emergency care. Fortunately, although
frightening, fever-related seizures in otherwise healthy young children
are generally short-lived and are rarely harmful.
Complications from roseola are rare. The vast majority of otherwise
healthy children and adults with roseola recover quickly and completely.
Roseola is of greater concern in people whose immune system is
compromised, such as those who have recently received a bone marrow or
organ transplant. They may contract a new case of roseola — or a
previous infection may come back while their immune system is weakened.
Because they have less resistance to viruses in general,
immune-compromised people tend to develop more severe cases of infection
and have a harder time fighting off illness.
People with weak immune systems who contract roseola may experience
potentially serious complications from the infection, such as pneumonia
or encephalitis — a potentially life-threatening inflammation of the
brain.
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