Roseola virus in

Roseola is contagious. The infection spreads when a child with roseola talks, sneezes, or coughs, sending tiny droplets into the air that others can breathe in. The droplets also can land on surfaces; if other children touch those surfaces and then their nose or mouth, they can become infected. Roseola may be contagious during the fever phase, but does not spread by the time the rash breaks out.

There is no known way to prevent roseola. But because it affects young kids rather than adults, it's thought that a bout of roseola in childhood may provide some lasting immunity to the illness. Repeat cases of roseola can happen, but are uncommon. The fever of roseola lasts from 3 to 7 days, followed by a rash lasting from hours to a few days. To make a diagnosis, a doctor will take a medical history and do an exam. A diagnosis of roseola is often uncertain until the fever drops and the rash appears, so the doctor may order tests to make sure that the fever is not caused by another type of infection.

Like other viral illnesses, such as a common cold, roseola spreads from person to person through contact with an infected person's respiratory secretions or saliva. For example, a healthy child who shares a cup with a child who has roseola could contract the virus. Roseola is contagious even if no rash is present. That means the condition can spread while an infected child has only a fever, even before it's clear that the child has roseola.

Watch for signs of roseola if your child has interacted with another child who has the illness. Unlike chickenpox and other childhood viral illnesses that spread rapidly, roseola rarely results in a communitywide outbreak. The infection can occur at any time of the year. Older infants are at greatest risk of acquiring roseola because they haven't had time yet to develop their own antibodies against many viruses.

While in the uterus, babies receive antibodies from their mothers that protect them as newborns from contracting infections, such as roseola. But this immunity decreases with time. The most common age for a child to contract roseola is between 6 and 15 months. Occasionally a child with roseola experiences 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. 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.

Febrile seizures occur in about 3 in children under the age of 5. This type of seizure may run in families. The symptoms of roseola can be like other health conditions. Make sure your child sees his or her healthcare provider for a diagnosis. He or she will give your child a physical exam. The physical exam will include inspecting the rash.

The rash and high fever is usually enough to diagnose your child. It will also depend on how severe the condition is. Antibiotics are not used to treat this illness. Don't give ibuprofen to a child younger than 6 months old, unless your healthcare provider tells you to. Don't give aspirin to children. In most cases, roseola will go away within a week without professional medical treatment.

While your child has a fever, keep her comfortable by dressing her in lightweight clothing. Make sure she gets lots of rest and plenty of fluids. The rash associated with roseola will usually go away on its own without treatment within a day or so. If your baby has a weakened immune system, her healthcare provider may prescribe an antiviral medication. Your child can contract roseola from an infected individual through respiratory secretions or saliva from. To help prevent your child getting roseola, keep him away from anyone who is infected.

If your child has come in contact with someone who has it, watch for signs of the virus. This may mean keeping him home from daycare or school. Adults can get roseola, too. In healthy adults, it tends to be mild. Because adults can pass roseola on to children, if an adult in your home has it, all family members should wash their hands regularly to help prevent it from spreading.

Roseola is generally not a cause for concern.