Causes

Three-day fever is an acute illness of the baby and is caused by a virus that belongs to the group of herpes viruses. This group includes 8 different types of virus, one of which also causes the classic cold sore. The human herpes virus (HHV-) 6 is mainly responsible for the three-day fever, isolated cases are also attributed to HHV-7.

Typical of herpes viruses is the fact that they have not been destroyed or neutralized after illness, but remain inactive in the body and can be reactivated under certain circumstances. This is how transmission to the baby occurs through healthy adults or children. Since the baby has not been confronted with this pathogen up to now, the disease breaks out and becomes noticeable with its typical course. In people who have already had the disease, specific antibodies against the virus are then found in the blood, which prevent a new outbreak and make them immune to HHV-6 or HHV-7 for the rest of their lives.

Course of the three-day fever

After infection, i.e. the uptake of the pathogen, it takes a certain time for the virus to spread in the baby. After this so-called incubation period of 5-15 days, high fever with values of up to 40 degrees appears at first, apparently for no apparent reason, and lasts for an average of 3 days – hence three-day fever. By definition, from 38 degrees Celsius on, one speaks of a fever, with values up to 38 degrees Celsius of increased temperature.

In extreme cases, the fever lasts up to 8 days in babies. As a rule, it then recedes spontaneously and completely without harming the baby. This is followed by the classic three-day fever rash.There are many reddish spots that first appear on the chest, belly and neck.

Some of these spots can be raised, i.e. they can be felt with the finger. In some cases, they connect flat and merge into the face. This rash does not cause itching, which distinguishes it from many other rashes occurring in childhood diseases.

While this may seem dangerous to many parents, it does not affect the baby’s health. Rather, it is a sign that the disease is in the waning phase and the fever is over. In a not uncommon number of cases, the three-day fever occurs without the baby developing the typical skin picture.

This is called the abortive form. In addition to these harmless processes, which are observed in most cases, in some cases other symptoms may occur. First of all, there is the febrile convulsion, which can occur as a result of the rapidly rising fever and is accompanied by muscle twitches and brief clouding of consciousness in the baby.

However, it is important to know that this type of spasm is not dangerous and stops spontaneously. A clarification of this event is nevertheless useful in order to exclude other cramp-inducing diseases such as epilepsy in the baby. In addition, the three-day fever can show other unspecific symptoms.

These include, for example, gastrointestinal complaints, which manifest themselves with diarrhea, or swelling in the area of the eyes (lid edema) or the lymph nodes in the neck. The sick baby may also suffer from coughs and rhinitis. All in all, it must be said that despite the symptoms mentioned, three-day fever is in the vast majority of cases one of the harmless childhood diseases without any damaging potential.

Nevertheless, one should consult a doctor for clarification, also because the pediatrician would like to be informed about high fever in the first years. Healthy adults generally do not suffer from three-day fever. However, people undergoing aggressive therapy that weakens the immune system, such as chemotherapy, can be harmed by the virus.