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Sudden erythema (three-day fever) is often the first infectious disease in infants and young children aged 6 months to 3 years. It is caused by the HHV virus. A characteristic symptom is a fever that lasts for several days, followed by a rubella-like rash. Treatment is only symptomatic.
Sudden erythema (three-day fever) – definition
Sudden erythema is an infectious rash disease that occurs mostly in children under the age of 2. There are rare cases of a three-day wage in children over four years of age. According to researchers, this condition is the most common infection in infancy and half of fever cases are caused by sudden erythema. The three-day fever is caused by herpesviruses, and more specifically by the HHV-6 and HHV-7 viruses, and is generally acute with high temperature. Sudden erythema is a disease that occurs all year round.
Hatching period is 5-15 days.
Infectiousness: little.
Symptoms of sudden erythema (three-day fever)
Disease symptoms usually appear in children over 6 months of age. The most characteristic feature of sudden erythema is a high fever lasting usually three days, which can reach even 40 degrees Celsius, during which there are no sufficient symptoms (eg runny nose, cough) to explain it. The BRAUN IRT6515 Thermoscan 6 ear thermometer with a heated tip will help you to control your body temperature.
After three days, the fever decreases and a rubella-like rash appears on the skin – macular or maculopapular. It has the appearance of small red spots or lumps located on the body or neck, sometimes on the limbs. Skin lesions are characterized by the fact that they disappear after pressing, moreover, there is no need to lubricate them because the rash is not exudative. The rash usually clears up quickly without leaving any discoloration or peeling. Sometimes the peripheral lymph nodes are enlarged and there is diarrhea (vomiting does not occur).
The child feels unwell as a result of high body temperature. Usually, when there are no other symptoms and the child responds well to the medications taken, the parents refrain from visiting the doctor. The indication for a visit to a specialist is a fever that lasts a long time. Then it is necessary to find its cause and make a proper diagnosis.
For a convenient way to measure your child’s fever, try the Vitammy Thermo Stickers for Children Fever Monitoring.
Sudden erythema (three-day fever) – diagnosis and treatment
The diagnosis is usually made by a physician on the basis of clinical symptoms and the result of basic morphological tests, i.e. CRP, ESR and morphology with smear. The tests performed on the third day of fever are of great value. Antibody testing is rarely used.
In the treatment of sudden erythema, preparations that reduce high temperature are used, e.g. with drugs containing ibuprofen or paracetamol. The fever can also be beaten by a child with a summer bath. In addition, the child should be systematically irrigated to avoid dehydration. Infection with HHV6 and HHV7 viruses carries no risk of bacterial superinfection. Parents should remember that acetylsalicylic acid should not be given to young children.
Sudden erythema usually passes without leaving any complications. There are no known ways to prevent a three-day-long break – there is no vaccine that would protect you against sudden erythema. However, it is worth avoiding contact with sick people and taking care of personal hygiene.