Roseola: symptoms, definition, home care, treatment, and preventionSymptoms
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Fever with a rectal temperature above 39°C that lasts for 3 to 7 days
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Mild sore throat, runny nose, or swollen lymph nodes
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Overall good condition despite the fever
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Small pinkish spots on the trunk/neck that may spread to the face, but rarely the arms or legs; this non-itchy rash appears three days after the fever develops or within 24 hours of the fever subsiding
Consult a doctor if your child:
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Has had a fever for over a week
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Has a fever with a rectal temperature above 40°C
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Is in poor general condition or very irritable
Febrile seizuresThe high fever associated with roseola causes febrile seizures in some children. Febrile seizures are involuntary convulsions of the whole body or part of the body. Read our fact sheet on febrile seizures for information on what to do. |
What is roseola?
Also known as exanthem subitum or sixth disease, roseola is a contagious disease caused by a virus in the human herpesvirus group (HHV type 6 or 7). It is usually harmless, and complications are very rare. In general, once a child has had roseola, they are immune to the virus for life.
Age: Roseola mainly affects babies and toddlers aged 3 months to 2 years. In fact, most children catch this disease by the time they turn 3, even if they show no symptoms. As a result, roseola is very rare in children over the age of 4. Infectious period: Children with roseola are generally contagious before they develop a rash or any other symptoms. How it spreads: The disease is transmitted through the saliva or airborne respiratory secretions (droplets spread by coughing and sneezing) of an infected person. Incubation period: Between 5 and 15 days (9 or 10 days on average). Vaccine: There is no vaccine against this disease. Daycare: Your child can continue to go to daycare if they feel well enough to participate in group activities, as roseola is not very contagious and the infectious period ends before the onset of symptoms. |
Treatment
No treatment is required for roseola except to manage the fever. Antibiotics are useless against roseola, since the illness is caused by a virus, not bacteria.
When the fever goes down and the rash appears, your child is no longer contagious. At this stage, the disease has largely cleared up. No treatment is required for the rash.
Care and practical advice
Here’s what you can do to relieve your child’s high fever.
- Keep them at home as long as they have a fever. Make sure they drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest.
- If needed, you can give them acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol®, Tempra®) or ibuprofen (e.g., Advil®, Motrin®) as indicated and in the doses recommended for their age and weight. Always use acetaminophen first. Ibuprofen should only be given on medical advice. Don’t give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months, and never give Aspirin® (acetylsalicylic acid) to a child or teenager.
- You can apply a cool, wet washcloth to your child’s skin if you think it will help them feel better. However, be sure to give them fever-reducing medication beforehand.
- Avoid alcohol rubdowns, cold or lukewarm baths, ice baths, and the use of fans, as these may make your child more uncomfortable.
For more practical advice, see our fact sheet on fevers in children.
Prevention
Roseola cannot be prevented. However, hand washing remains the best way to limit the spread of viral infections such as roseola.
| Scientific review:Dr. Isabelle Viel-Thériault, pediatrician and infectious disease specialist at CHU de Québec – Université Laval Research and copywriting:The Naître et grandir team Updated: June 2025
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Photos: Adobe Stock/Tomsickova and GettyImages/Lizalica
Sources and references
Note: The links to other websites are not updated regularly, and some URLs may have changed since publication. If a link is no longer valid, please use search engines to find the relevant information.
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Sick Kids Staff. “Roseola.” 2023. AboutKidsHealth. aboutkidshealth.ca
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Chenelière Éducation. Dictionnaire de pédiatrie Weber. 3rd ed., Montreal, Chenelière Éducation, 2015, 1,384 pp.
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Doré, Nicole, and Danielle Le Hénaff. From Tiny Tot to Toddler: A practical guide for parents from pregnancy to age two. Institut national de santé publique du Québec. inspq.qc.ca
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Nemours KidsHealth. “Roseola.” KidsHealth. 2023. kidshealth.org
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Mayo Clinic Staff. “Roseola.” Mayo Clinic. 2025. mayoclinic.org
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Canadian Paediatric Society. “Roseola.” Caring for Kids. 2018. caringforkids.cps.ca
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Vekemans, Gaëlle. L’ABC de la santé des enfants. 2nd ed., Montreal, Les Éditions La Presse, 2016, 413 pp.
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