Roseola Infantum Virus Causes Sudden, High Fever and Pink Rash Symptoms

Roseola infantum is a virus infection caused by herpes virus 6, or sometimes herpes virus 7.  Also cited as exanthema subitum or sixthdisease, this generally mild and contagious bug infects practically every child under age 5. The prevailing age group is between 9 and 21 months.

Comparable to other viral infections, like the common cold, roseola spreads through respiratory secretions or saliva. After exposure, it ordinarily takes a couple weeks for its infection symptoms to emerge. For some, symptoms may not even be severe enough to notice.

Roseola infantum’s primary symptoms are a few days of a high fever, that comes on suddenly, followed by a torso rash.  This rash then spreads to your neck, face and arms.  Not unusual for sixth disease to cause a fever that rises above 101 F.

Roseola causing rash surfaces as flat pink spots.  Some experience slightly raised bumps or a white ring around some of their pink rashpatches. This pink rash isn’t itchy nor uncomfortable, and it fades on its own within several hours to several days.

Other symptoms that may present ahead of or with roseola caused sudden, high fever include:

Roseola is contagious, even before your sudden, high fever and pinkrash symptoms appear.

Roseola infantum rarely causes community outbreaks, unlike other childhood viruses. For instance chickenpox.  And this infection occurs amid all seasons.

Normally roseola is not considered serious. One of its rare complications is a seizure resulting from its very high, sudden fever symptom. Meningitis, encephalitis and pneumonia are other extraordinary snags as well.

However, the vast majority of otherwise healthy roseola infected folks recover quickly and completely.

There’s no specific treatment for roseola infantum.  Yet, health care professionals routinely advice bed rest and plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.  And to help reduce the high fever a cool sponge bath andfever reducing medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Never give aspirin to a child suffering from a viral infection. Nor antibiotics neither.

Like most viruses, roseola infantum needs to run its course.  Contact your health care professional in instances of:

Once the roseola pink rash appears, you are much less contagious. Afterwards, healthy individuals are immune to another exanthema subitum infection for life.

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