Facts
• This is the most common viral rash in children under age three.
• It is caused by the human herpesvirus-6.
• The illness has a non-seasonal occurrence without known contacts.
Symptoms
• The disease is characterized by high fever (up to 106) for three to five days that can subside very suddenly.
• Within 24 hours, a rash occurs. The eruption of this rash is pink, characterized by round, flat spots that fade on pressure.
• The rash first starts on the chest and back and may spread to the arms and legs, lasting for a day or two.
• In spite of the high fever, most children with roseola appear quite happy and playful.
• A complication of roseola can be a febrile seizure in susceptible people, probably related to the rapid rise in temperature.
Treatment
• There is no specific therapy except for fever reducers and fluids.
Find out about other rashes:
• Chicken pox
• Rubeola or measles
• Scarlet fever
• Fifth's disease
• Coxsackieviruses, or hand, foot and mouth syndrome
