Roseola

Also known as: roseola infantum, exanthema subitum, sixth disease.

What is roseola?

Roseola is a viral infection that frequently affects children between the ages of six months and two years. It’s characterized by a respiratory symptoms, a high fever and a rash.

What causes roseola?

Two different types of viruses can cause roseola. The condition can also be spread from child to child through cough, sneezes or infected surfaces.

What are the symptoms of roseola?

Roseola often begins with a runny nose, sore throat and cough along with a high fever. The fever tends to last for around four days, and when it goes away, a rash of small pink spots tends to develop. This rash is often on the chest, back, abdomen and can even spread to the neck, arms, legs and face.

What are roseola care options?

Over-the-counter pain relievers can help with the fever and discomfort in some children with roseola. Most of the time, roseola resolves on its own in around a week and complications such as febrile seizures may happen.

Reviewed by: Otto M Ramos, MD

This page was last updated on: September 16, 2025 12:23 PM