Roseola is a common infection in children ages 6 to 24 months. Roseola is caused by a virus.
Children younger than 4 months or older than 4 years don’t usually get roseola. Most children are not very sick with roseola.
Roseola starts with a fever. After 3 to 5 days, the fever goes down and a rash appears on the child’s face or body. The rash is made up of small, red dots that last for a day or two.
There can be a high fever that causes febrile (fever) seizures or convulsions in some children.
It is hard to know if a child has roseola until the rash appears. A doctor can tell if the child’s fever is caused by roseola or some more serious infection.
We are not sure how it spreads from person to person.
Children with roseola get better without treatment and usually have no further problems.
For more information about how to look after a child with a fever, see Facts About Fever.
About Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen.
Print this page as featured in the guide book, Sneezes & Diseases: A Resource Book for Caregivers & Parents.