Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Roseola?At-Home TreatmentSymptom DurationWhen to Seek Medical Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Roseola?
At-Home Treatment
Symptom Duration
When to Seek Medical Care
It is common in children ages 3 months to 4 years and most common in infants 6 to 12 months. Older children and adults can also get roseola, but it is rare.Most people with roseola do not require medical treatment. Home remedies usually include rest and fluids.
This article discusses roseola, its common symptoms, and when to call a healthcare provider.
Margarita-Young/ Getty Images
Rash After Fever in Roseola
Roseola usually causes ahigh feverthat lasts about three to five days. The fever can reach temperatures as high as 103 to 105 degrees.Just as the fever breaks, a rash usually forms on the trunk. The rash then spreads to the arms, legs, neck, and face. The rash usually appears as pink or red spots on light skin. On darker skin, the rash may be harder to see.
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoReproduced with permission from © DermNet dermnetnz.org 2023
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See Photo
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Reproduced with permission from © DermNet dermnetnz.org 2023
A Guide to Viral Rashes in Adults and Children
What’s the Link?
Roseola is contagious and spreads through respiratory droplets.When a child with roseola talks, sneezes, or coughs, they send tiny droplets into the air. When other children breathe the same air or touch the same surfaces, they are exposed to roseola. Most children are most contagious during the fever phase of the illness.
Symptoms in Infants
What to Do if Your Child Has a Fever
Due to the high fevers, roseola raises the risk offebrile seizures. Rapidly rising body temperatures can trigger seizures. This happens in 10% to 15% of young children with high fevers. Symptoms of a febrile seizure include a period of unconsciousness, twitching of the arms and legs, jerking of the body, and a loss of bladder or bowel control.
Symptoms in Adults
Roseola is not common in adolescents or adults, but it is possible. Adults with roseola may experience several of the same symptoms infants do, including a high fever, rash, runny nose, cough, diarrhea, and vomiting. Adults may also notice a sore throat andswollen lymph nodes(lymphadenopathy) in the neck.
Home Treatment for Rash-Related Roseola
Most people with roseola can treat it safely at home. Medical care is usually unnecessary, and antibiotics are ineffective. Home remedies and care options for roseola include:
Why Kids Shouldn’t Take Aspirin
Call your child’s healthcare provider if they have a high fever above 102 degrees. To help comfort them, provide plenty of opportunities for rest and hydration. Consider giving them over-the-counter medications if necessary.
Roseola Rash: Symptom Duration
Returning to Day Care, School, or Work
Children with roseola are considered most contagious when they have a fever. After the fever breaks, they are much less contagious. Your child is safe to return to school or day care as soon as they have been fever-free for 24 hours. It is OK if they still have a rash.
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
Roseola is a relatively common illness that usually does not need medical care. However, there are times when you or your child may require a healthcare provider’s visit. Call your provider if you or your child experience:
There is no guaranteed way to prevent roseola. To lower your risk, practice regular handwashing and encourage handwashing with your children.
Summary
Common symptoms include a high fever, rash, runny nose, cough, sore throat, diarrhea, and vomiting. Most people with roseola do not require medical treatment. Home remedies usually include rest, fluids, and over-the-counter medications. Call your healthcare provider if you or your child experiences seizures.
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Roseola.Nemours KidsHealth.Roseola.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Roseola.Pippin M, Laws G.A classic presentation of roseola infantum.Cureus. 2024;16(1):e52504. doi:10.7759/cureus.52504National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Febrile seizures.American Academy of Pediatrics.Roseola infantum.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Roseola.Nemours KidsHealth.Roseola.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Roseola.Pippin M, Laws G.A classic presentation of roseola infantum.Cureus. 2024;16(1):e52504. doi:10.7759/cureus.52504National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Febrile seizures.American Academy of Pediatrics.Roseola infantum.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Roseola.Nemours KidsHealth.Roseola.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Roseola.Pippin M, Laws G.A classic presentation of roseola infantum.Cureus. 2024;16(1):e52504. doi:10.7759/cureus.52504National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Febrile seizures.American Academy of Pediatrics.Roseola infantum.
MedlinePlus.Roseola.
Nemours KidsHealth.Roseola.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Roseola.
Pippin M, Laws G.A classic presentation of roseola infantum.Cureus. 2024;16(1):e52504. doi:10.7759/cureus.52504
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Febrile seizures.
American Academy of Pediatrics.Roseola infantum.
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