What are the signs and symptoms of roseola?
In many cases of roseola, the child appears well with few or no signs or symptoms. Typical cases are characterised by the following: • High fever (often up to 40 degC) for 3-5 days • Upper respiratory symptoms such as sore throat, cough, runny nose or congestion • Irritability and tiredness • Rash appears around days 3 to 5 as fever subsides • Typically small pink or red raised spots (2-5 mm in diameter) that blanch (turn white) when touched • Some spots may be surrounded by a lighter halo of pale skin • Starts on trunk and may spread to involve the neck, face, arms and legs • Non-itchy, painless and does not blister • May fade within a few hours or persist for as long as 2-3 days In some cases, a child may be infected with the virus and never develop the rash. Less commonly, the rash may appear without a preceding fever. In most cases, particularly if fever is low, the child is well. In about 5-15% of young children, high fevers may trigger febrile seizures.
