Roseola

Roseola is caused by a non-genital herpes virus. It mainly affects children younger than age 2. The virus takes about seven to 15 days to develop. Roseola starts with a high fever of 102 degrees F that lasts up to five days.

Within one day of the fever breaking, a rash appears on the torso and the face. The rash is composed of small, fairly flat pink spots. It may appear on the arms or legs, but not as much as the torso. The rash will go away within two days.

Your child can spread roseola during the fever, not during the rash. Although the illness is harmless, it can be difficult to know if the fever is caused by the roseola virus or a more serious bacteria.

If your child is younger than 2 years old and has a high fever that won't go away, take your child to your health care provider.

How to make your child more comfortable

Give your child:

• extra liquids
• acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Advil®) for fever. Follow the package directions for your child's height, weight or age.

You do not need to treat the rash.