Symptoms
Some children with Roseola just have 3 days of fever without a rash. Once the fever is gone for 24 hours, the disease is no longer contagious (AAP). Your child can return to child care or school, even if the rash is still present. Children exposed to your child earlier may come down with Roseola in 9-10 days.
Causes
Roseola outbreaks can occur at any time of the year. Although it’s rare, adults can contract roseola if they never had the virus as a child. The illness is typically milder in adults, but they can pass the infection on to children. Call your child’s doctor if they:
Prevention
Roseola is contagious. It has an incubation period (from time of exposure to the virus to symptom development) from about five to 14 days. The individual remains contagious until one or two days after the fever subsides. The roseola rash may still be present, but the child or individual is usually not contagious after the fever abates. Roseola is caused by a common virus (belonging to the family of herpesviruses and termed HHV-6).
Complications
Most children have been exposed to roseola before they are five years old and develop the antibodies to avoid repeat infection. If adults contract roseola, the symptoms are usually very mild. It is possible to have roseola more than once, but this is unusual, unless the person has a compromised immune system.
When is roseola no longer contagious?
Can adults catches roseola?
Is roseola contagious when the rash appears?
Can you get roseola more than once?
Can parents transmit roseola?
Roseola is contagious, meaning it can be spread from one person to another. It is spread by the fluids that are coughed or sneezed into the air. Children with roseola can only spread the infection before the fever and/or rash occur. Once your child has symptoms, they are no longer contagious.
How long is roseola contagious for?
It has an incubation period (from time of exposure to the virus to symptom development) from about five to 14 days. The individual remains contagious until one or two days after the fever subsides. The roseola rash may still be present, but the child or individual is usually not contagious after the fever abates.
Does roseola come from adults?
Most cases of roseola occur in childhood and are not serious. Adults can still be infected, especially if they didn't have roseola as a child. People with a compromised immune system may also experience a reactivated roseola infection.
How serious is roseola?
Roseola is an extremely common childhood virus that rarely causes serious problems. Symptoms usually improve with simple home treatment. You should contact your healthcare provider if your child has a febrile seizure, even though these seizures typically aren't cause for concern.
What should I do if my child has roseola?
Roseola rash is harmless and clears up in 1 to 3 days....To treat your child's fever at home, your health care provider may recommend:Plenty of rest. Let your child rest in bed until the fever goes away. ... Plenty of fluids. Offer your child clear fluids to drink to prevent dehydration. ... Cool cloth or a sponge bath.
Can my child go to daycare with roseola?
Once the fever is gone for 24 hours, the disease is no longer contagious (AAP). Your child can return to child care or school, even if the rash is still present. Children exposed to your child earlier may come down with Roseola in 9-10 days.
Is roseola related to chickenpox?
Roseola is a common childhood infection that is caused by the same family of viruses that is responsible for chickenpox and shingles. This virus can be spread by tiny droplets of fluid that go into the air when someone who is infected talks, coughs, laughs, or sneezes.
Why is roseola called sixth disease?
The name "sixth disease" comes from its place on the standard list of rash-causing childhood diseases, which also includes measles (first), scarlet fever (second), rubella (third), Dukes' disease (fourth, but is no longer widely accepted as distinct from scarlet fever), and erythema infectiosum (fifth).
Can a child get roseola twice?
It is possible to have roseola more than once, but this is unusual, unless the person has a compromised immune system. Roseola is caused by two viruses in the herpes family: HHV, or human herpes virus, most often type 6 or occasionally type 7.
What does roseola look like on a child?
The roseola rash may look like small pink spots or bumps that can merge into patches. In some babies, the rash is reddish, and it may turn a lighter color when a person applies pressure. There can sometimes be a paler “halo” around the rash area.
Where does roseola rash show up?
The high fever often ends abruptly, and at about the same time a pinkish-red flat or raised rash starts on the trunk. The rash's spots turn white when touched, and individual spots may have a lighter "halo" around them. The rash usually spreads to the neck, face, arms, and legs.
Is roseola contagious without fever?
There is no vaccine to prevent roseola. You can protect others by keeping home a child with fever until the fever has been gone for 24 hours. Then, even if a roseola rash is present the disease isn't contagious.
How many times can a kid get roseola?
It is possible to have roseola more than once, but this is unusual, unless the person has a compromised immune system. Roseola is caused by two viruses in the herpes family: HHV, or human herpes virus, most often type 6 or occasionally type 7.
How long is a viral rash contagious?
Children are contagious 1 to 2 days before the onset of symptoms and 3 to 5 days after the rash develops. This means that children can be contagious before they even know they have measles.