Is it possible to have roseola more than once

Roseola roe-zee-OH-lah is a viral illness that most commonly affects young kids between 6 months and 2 years old. It's also known as sixth disease, exanthem subitum, and roseola infantum. It is usually marked by several days of high fever , followed by a distinctive rash just as the fever breaks.

Two common, closely related viruses can cause roseola, human herpesvirus HHV type 6 and type 7. These viruses belong to the same family as the better-known herpes simplex viruses HSV , but do not cause the cold sores and genital herpes infections that HSV can cause.

During this time, a child might be fussy or irritable, not eat as much as usual, and may have swollen lymph nodes glands in the neck. The high fever often ends abruptly, and at about the same time a pinkish-red flat or raised rash starts on the trunk.

The rash's spots turn white when touched, and individual spots may have a lighter "halo" around them. The rash usually spreads to the neck, face, arms, and legs. Signs of a febrile seizure include:. Roseola is contagious. The infection spreads when a child with roseola talks, sneezes, or coughs, sending tiny droplets into the air that others can breathe in. The droplets also can land on surfaces; if other children touch those surfaces and then their nose or mouth, they can become infected.

Roseola may be contagious during the fever phase, but does not spread by the time the rash breaks out. Roseola is a childhood illness caused by two strains of herpes virus. Common signs of roseola are fever and a rash on the trunk and neck. If your child is exposed to someone with roseola and becomes infected with the virus, it generally takes a week or two for signs and symptoms of infection to appear — if they appear at all. It's possible to become infected with roseola, but have signs and symptoms too mild to be readily noticeable.

Roseola symptoms may include:. Your child could have a convulsion febrile seizure if his or her fever becomes high or spikes quickly. However, usually by the time you notice your child's high temperature, the threat of a possible seizure has already passed. If your child does have an unexplained seizure, seek medical care immediately.

If your immune system is compromised and you come in contact with someone who has roseola, contact your doctor. You may need monitoring for a possible infection that, for you, could be more severe than it is for a child.

The most common cause of roseola is the human herpes virus 6, but the cause also can be another herpes virus — human herpes virus 7. Like other viral illnesses, such as a common cold, roseola spreads from person to person through contact with an infected person's respiratory secretions or saliva. For example, a healthy child who shares a cup with a child who has roseola could contract the virus.

Roseola is contagious even if no rash is present. That means the condition can spread while an infected child has only a fever, even before it's clear that the child has roseola. Watch for signs of roseola if your child has interacted with another child who has the illness.

Unlike chickenpox and other childhood viral illnesses that spread rapidly, roseola rarely results in a communitywide outbreak.

The infection can occur at any time of the year. Older infants are at greatest risk of acquiring roseola because they haven't had time yet to develop their own antibodies against many viruses. While in the uterus, babies receive antibodies from their mothers that protect them as newborns from contracting infections, such as roseola. But this immunity decreases with time.

The most common age for a child to contract roseola is between 6 and 15 months. Occasionally a child with roseola experiences a seizure brought on by a rapid rise in body temperature. If this happens, your child might briefly lose consciousness and jerk his or her arms, legs or head for several seconds to minutes.

He had unexplained fever last week for two days but the highest it got was He has been pretty irritable and clingy however I was thinking it's because he has a molar coming in. Today I noticed the rash but it's just slightly pink flat spots all over the truck of his body, front and back but not on his face or arms really.

Other then that he is fine, eating well so I'm thinking it may be roseola but just a milder case because he had it already. I'm not going to take him to the doctor yet only because he is acting pretty normal.

I'm glad it isn't just my DD. I was under the impression that it would be a one time deal too. She had it when she was around 9mo, fever lasted about 4 days and spiked to before the telltale rash. Then just recently she came down with a fever in the morning out of nowhere, at night it peaked at So this time around it's duration was significantly shorter Hopefully this is our last bout of it Supposedly they can't get it more than once but some kids end up with the chickenpox more than once so I'm sure it is rare but possible.

It could also just be a rash from a different virus. There is more than one virus that gives a rash - roseola is just the most common.

I also thought it would be a one time deal by LO has had it twice so far.