Roseola is a very common childhood infection.
It was first described in the journal Pediatrics in 1910 by J. Zahorsky.
Also called roseola infantum or exanthem subitum (sixth disease), it is caused by human herpes virus type 6 and 7. That fact wasn’t discovered until 1986 though.
Roseola is best known for causing a high fever for about three to five days, but even more characteristically, roseola often causes a rose-pink or red rash on your child’s trunk once the fever breaks.
Infections can also be asymptomatic.
There are no treatments and it rarely causes complications. Even febrile seizures that can be triggered by roseola, which happens commonly, are not thought to be serious.
Roseola, even reactivation of an old infection, can be a serious for children or adults with immune system problems though, especially those who have had a stem cell transplant.
What To Know About Roseola
Roseola is a common viral infection that most kids get in early childhood. The biggest problem when having roseola is that by the time you get diagnosed, because the fever is gone and your child has a rash, it is basically over.
For more information:
- Roseola
- Roseola Infantum
- Review Article – Laboratory and clinical aspects of human herpesvirus 6 infections.
- HHV-6 Foundation
Last Updated on October 2, 2016 by Vincent Iannelli, MD
