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Is roseola rash contagious?
How long is roseola contagious?
How do you know if roseola is contagious?
Mar 3, 2023 · The roseola rash may still be present, but the child or individual is usually not contagious after the fever abates. Therefore, a person with roseola is contagious for approximately 5 to 7 days, but once the rash appears, they are no longer contagious. Roseola is caused by a common virus (belonging to the family of herpesviruses and termed HHV-6).
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If your child is exposed to someone with roseola and becomes infected with the virus, it will likely take 1 to 2 weeks for signs and symptoms of infection to appear. Or they may not appear at all. It's possible to become infected with roseola but not show any sign of it.
Roseola symptoms might include:
•Fever. Roseola often starts with a high fever — often higher than 103 F (39.4 C). It starts suddenly and lasts 3 to 5 days. Some children also may have a sore throat, runny nose or cough along with or before the fever. Your child may also develop swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
•Rash. After the fever goes away, a rash often appears. A roseola rash is many small spots or patches. These spots tend to be flat.
Seek immediate medical care
Your child could have a convulsion (febrile seizure) if the fever becomes high or spikes quickly. If your child has an unexplained seizure, seek medical care immediately.
Call your child's health care provider
Call your child's health care provider if:
Call your health care provider
Contact your health care provider if anyone in the household has a problem with their immune system and comes in contact with someone who has roseola. They may need monitoring for a possible infection that could be more severe than it is for someone with a strong immune system. Request an appointment
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Roseola is caused by a virus, usually human herpes virus 6 or sometimes human herpes virus 7. It is spread by contact with an infected person's saliva, such as when sharing a cup, or through the air, such as when a person with roseola coughs or sneezes. It can take about 9 to 10 days for symptoms to develop after exposure to an infected person.
Roseola is no longer contagious after the fever has been gone for 24 hours.
The risk of roseola is highest in older infants. It is most common between 6 and 15 months. Older infants are at greatest risk of acquiring roseola because they haven't had time yet to develop their own antibodies against many viruses. Newborns are protected by antibodies received from their mothers during pregnancy. But this immunity decreases wit...
Seizures in children
Occasionally a child with roseola experiences a seizure brought on by a sudden fever (febrile seizure). If this happens, your child might briefly lose consciousness, fall down, and have jerking arms and legs for several seconds to minutes. If your child has a seizure, seek emergency care. Although frightening, febrile seizures in otherwise healthy children tend to be short-lived and are rarely harmful.
Concerns for people with weak immune systems
Roseola is of greater concern in people with a weak immune system. You might have a weak immune system, for example, if you've recently had bone marrow transplant. People with a weak immune system have less resistance to viruses. They tend to develop more-severe roseola or complications such as pneumonia or encephalitis. Encephalitis is a potentially life-threatening inflammation of the brain.
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.
Most people have antibodies to roseola by the time they're of school age, making them immune to a second infection. Even so, if one household member gets the virus, make sure that all family members wash their hands often to prevent spread of the virus to anyone who isn't immune.
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By Mayo Clinic Staff
Jun 29, 2022
1.AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases. Recommendations for prevention and control of influenza in children, 2017-2018. Pediatrics. 2017; doi:10.1542/peds.2017-2550.
Jun 12, 2023 · Roseola. Roseola is a common, contagious viral infection that affects most babies and children before they turn 2. The main symptom is a sudden, high fever. This can cause febrile seizures (normally harmless) in some children. Roseola may cause serious complications in children with weakened immune systems.
What are the symptoms of roseola in a child? It may take 5 to 15 days for a child to have symptoms of roseola after being exposed to the virus. A high fever may start suddenly and may reach 105°F (40.5°C). A child is most contagious during the high fever, before the rash occurs. The fever lasts 3 to 5 days and then suddenly goes away.
Jun 20, 2023 · Roseola — also known as sixth disease — is a contagious illness caused by a virus. Roseola usually manifests as a fever followed by a distinctive skin rash of pink patches or spots. Most cases ...
Mar 9, 2021 · Roseola is contagious, so your doctor will tell you to keep your child away from others, at least until the fever goes away. Once it’s been gone for at least 24 hours, they can play with other ...
May 25, 2022 · FAQs. Summary. Roseola is a common childhood illness caused by the human herpes virus. It is usually mild and can cause fever, runny nose, irritability, fatigue, and rash. Treatment includes rest, hydration, and medications to reduce fever. Roseola typically affects children aged 6 months to 2 years. Healthcare professionals can diagnose ...
