Wise Choices for You & Your Family
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WHAT IS:
ROSEOLA
Like other viral illnesses, roseola is spread by person-toperson
contact. Roseola is so common that most children have
had it by the time they reach school age. It can take up to two
weeks for someone who becomes infected with roseola to
show symptoms. However, many kids have such a mild case
that they do not even show noticeable symptoms. A roseola
infection can still be spread by someone who has symptoms
too mild to be easily visible. If you have a healthy immune
system, once you have had roseola, you are immune to it.
For children with a healthy immune system, there are not
many complications caused by a roseola infection, except in
the rare instances when the high fever triggers a seizure, and
the infection resolves on its own. Do call your child’s doctor if
the fever goes over 103 degrees F, the fever lasts more than a
week or the rash from roseola lasts more than three days. If
your child does experience a febrile seizure, seek immediate
medical treatment. Roseola poses the most risk for anyone
with a compromised immune system, since their immune
system will be less able to fight the infection and it may lead
to more serious complications, like pneumonia.
Resources: aocd.org/page/RoseolaInfantum
Roseola is a common childhood infection that is caused
by a strain of the human herpes virus. Most cases are in
children under the age of two. However, adults sometimes
get roseola, especially if they have a weakened immune
system. The symptoms include a high fever that can last
several days which is then, in many cases, followed by a
rash. The rash looks like small pink spots, and some of the
spots may have a white ring around them. Often, the rash
first appears on the trunk and then spreads to the rest
of the body. The rash is not itchy and may last for only a
few hours or up to a few days. Someone with roseola may
also experience a loss of appetite, swollen eyelids and
diarrhea.
HOO’s Healthy
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/RoseolaInfantum