CHILDREN’S HEALTH: ROSEOLA
Roseola is an acute, infectious disease characterized by a high fever followed by a rash. It is not known which virus causes the disease. Roseola occurs almost exclusively in children between the ages of six months and three years. The incubation period – the time it takes for symptoms to develop once a child has been exposed to the virus – is seven to 17 days. One attack of roseola provides lifelong immunity.
Signs and symptoms
Roseola begins suddenly with a fever of 40°C to 41 °C. It is one of the more common causes of convulsions with fever, which occur at the onset of the disease. It rarely produces any other symptoms, although sometimes roseola can cause a runny nose, mild redness of the throat, and minimal enlargement of the lymph nodes of the neck. Generally, the fever persists for three or four days and cannot be kept down consistently with aspirin or acetaminophen. Meanwhile, the child appears to be less ill than the degree of fever suggests. The fever disappears abruptly; at the same time, a splotchy, red rash appears on the trunk and spreads to the child’s arms and neck. The rash disappears in one or two days, and the child is well again. Complications are rare.
Roseola is difficult to identify until the fever drops and the rash appears.
Home care
Give aspirin or paracetamol and use lukewarm baths to help control the fever.
Precautions
• Another common illness that produces a high fever but few other symptoms is infection of the urinary tract. This is more common in girls.
• Coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, discharge from the eyes or ears, and extreme fatigue or collapse are not associated with roseola. If these symptoms occur, consult a doctor.
Medical treatment
The doctor will conduct a careful physical examination to rule out other illnesses which cause a high fever. The doctor may order blood or urine tests if he or she is concerned about other illnesses, but usually a few days’ observation will confirm the diagnosis of roseola.
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