How long does the rash last?

The skin rash, which is why the three-day fever is also called exanthema subitum (sudden rash), appears very quickly after the decongestion. The rash is finely spotted and mainly located in the neck and spread over the trunk of the body. The spots are sometimes slightly raised and usually well distinguished from each other.The rash of the three-day fever is volatile and usually disappears within three days as quickly as it appeared. A fever and the simultaneous appearance of a rash is always a warning signal for serious diseases, such as meningitis. This constellation requires further clarification by the pediatrician.

Prognosis

Although the rash may look dangerous for many parents, it does not affect the baby’s health. Rather, it is a sign that the disease is in the dying 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 appearance.

This is called the abortive form. In addition to this harmless form, febrile convulsions may occur, which are caused by the rapid rise in temperature and are harmless. In rare cases, complications such as gastrointestinal complaints, coughing and rhinitis may occur.

A doctor should always be consulted for further clarification, also because the pediatrician would like to be informed about high fever in the first years. The prognosis for a baby suffering from three-day fever is therefore very good. In most cases, the disease is harmless and disappears spontaneously after a short time, so that the baby recovers quickly.

Often there are attenuated forms of the disease that the parents do not notice. The febrile convulsions also do not leave any damage. Only very rarely do complications occur. Healthy adults 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.

How contagious is the three-day fever?

The three-day fever (exanthema subitum) is highly infectious. The viruses, (HHV-6 and HHV-7), which belong to the herpes virus family, are transmitted from person to person by droplet infection. Droplet infection means that the viruses can be transmitted to another person by sneezing, coughing or even talking and kissing.

One can hardly protect oneself from an infection, since there is neither a vaccination nor other prophylactic medication. Especially when the children are in kindergarten or elementary school, one can no longer protect them from infection, since children put everything in their mouths and are very close to each other when playing. Adults in particular often have coughs when they suffer from the disease and can thus spread the viruses very easily.

Once you have the viruses in your body, they remain there for a lifetime and you are always protected. The lifelong remaining of the pathogens in the body has also a disadvantage: You can still infect your fellow men years later. This is also the reason why children are repeatedly infected by their mothers, without the latter having acute symptoms.

However, even if the disease is easily transmitted, it is not necessary to isolate the children. Nevertheless, there are certain points that should be observed. One should refrain from contact with pregnant women, and one should also keep oneself or the children away from people whose immune system is very poor, for example, through chemotherapy or other diseases.

It is also advisable to stay away from very old people and also from babies. Since many children feel very ill, they will stay at home anyway during the phase of illness and can recover in a protected environment. This is very important in order not to strain the small body too much.