Viruses that cause rashes in babies

In can also appear on the trunk, face, hands, and feet. Your child can have as little as one patch or dozens. The diagnosis and treatment of childhood eczema is extremely involved. There is a variety of viruses that can cause this type of rash. Some viruses are easily identifiable such as chickenpox, fifth disease, and roseola. Most viruses, however, do not cause their own specific type of rash as chickenpox does. These generic viral rashes can have many different appearances, such as lacy or pimply, raised or flat, bumps, spots, or blotches, and they often but not always start on the trunk, and then spread to the extremities.

The most important thing to understand here is that if your child has a fever or is not feeling well, and breaks out in one of these generic rashes, then it is probably a harmless virus and nothing to worry about. This starts off with a few red spots or bumps often mistaken for insect bites. Fever is common. The next day many more bumps will appear, and the first bumps will have turned into blisters. On the third day, new bumps will appear, and the second-day bumps will start to blister.

On day 4 the original blisters will start to crust over. Usually, by day 5, no new bumps will appear, and more blisters will crust over. On day 7 the majority of blisters will crust over. The fever can last for 5 days.

Contagion ends when the fever stops and all the blisters crust over. If this sounds like what your child has, click here for a complete discussion in chickenpox. Very important note — it is nearly impossible to diagnose chickenpox on day 1, and still difficult to know for certain on day 2.

Therefore, do not bring your child in to the doctor on day 1 or 2 and expect a definite diagnosis. Is this viral rash contagious? Viral rash getting worse? Sears advises: when you first notice some spots, draw a circle around a few of them.

If they change into blisters within 24 hours, consider it chickenpox. Note: There is a highly effective chickenpox vaccine available to your child. Read about the vaccine here. This is a very common virus. It starts out causing bright red cheeks that resemble slapped cheeks and sometimes a fever. Then a generic lacy or pimply rash spreads from the trunk to the extremities. There may also be a runny nose and cough. If this sounds like what your child has, click on it for a detailed discussion.

Coxsackie is a virus that produces blisters on the hands, feet or mouth. Click here for a picture. In general, viral illnesses are contagious starting the day before the rash and fever begin.

Contagion ends w hen the fever breaks for 24 hours and no Tylenol has been given to hide the fever , even though the rash will continue. Chicken Pox is the exception see above. This is one of the most common causes of fever and rash in infants and young children. It starts out with three days of moderate to high fevers, with no other symptoms. On day four the fever breaks and your infant develops a rash yet acts almost entirely well. The rash consists of red spots and bumps starting on the upper back and neck, spreading down the trunk and into the extremities.

It sometimes has a lacy appearance. If this sounds like what your child has, then click here for more information on roseola. If your child develops several generally less than 20 red bumps with a visible pinpoint hole in the middle, then it is probably an insect bite.

This appears as tiny red pimples, bumps, or spots. It usually appears on the back of the neck or lower back, but can involve the entire trunk. It occurs due to a mix of sweat, heat, and clothing. These medications may have adverse side effects. Usually, additional systemic symptoms occur alongside a viral rash.

As many infections can cause a rash, it is helpful to seek professional medical care to determine the cause. The American Academy of Dermatology recommend seeking medical attention for a viral rash if:.

Viral rashes can occur due to many common viruses, especially those that affect babies. Various illnesses, such as mononucleosis, chickenpox, sixth disease, and measles, cause a viral rash. A viral rash may appear as small bumps, blisters, or patches in various parts of the body. The rash typically goes away once the illness has run its course.

Although the rash itself is not usually a cause for concern, the underlying virus may require medical care. Anytime a new rash develops, and the reason is unknown, it is best to see a doctor.

Infectious mononucleosis, also called glandular fever or mono, is a viral disease that spreads through kissing. Early symptoms are similar to those of…. Erythema infectiosum, slapped cheek syndrome, or fifth disease is caused by parvovirus B It is a mild and common childhood infection. Shingles normally lasts 3 to 5 weeks, but there are some factors that may affect how long it takes to heal.

Learn more about what to expect. When it comes to chickenpox vs. A look at roseola, a viral infection that includes fever and rash. Included is detail on what the rash looks like and risk factors for the infection. What is a viral rash? Mononucleosis Chickenpox Shingles Measles Fifth disease Roseola infantum Treatments When to see a doctor Summary We include products we think are useful for our readers.

Share on Pinterest Image credit: Matibot, Share on Pinterest Image credit: F malan, Share on Pinterest. Heinz F. Eichenwald, Fifth disease. Share on Pinterest Image credit: Andrew Kerr, Roseola infantum sixth disease.

These spots might come on suddenly or appear gradually over several days. They can also appear in a small section or cover multiple areas. For example, a measles-related rash starts on your cheeks before eventually spreading to your torso and limbs. Viral rashes might also feel itchy or painful to the touch. The best way to identify a viral rash is to check for any symptoms of a viral infection, such as:.

Measles is a highly contagious disease among people who are not protected by a vaccine. It can be dangerous in young children and infants. The measles rash generally starts off as a red, blotchy rash on the face. Over the course of a few days, it can spread to the torso and then the rest of the body. The rash typically consists of flat pink or red spots that appear 3 to 5 days after infection. On darker skin, it can be flesh-colored to slightly purplish-gray, with flat to slightly raised bumps.

The rash occurs because your immune system detects the virus as it travels through your bloodstream. Immune cells then release chemicals to destroy the virus.

However, these chemicals also cause skin inflammation, resulting in a rash. The rubella virus , also known as German measles, typically causes mild illness in both children and adults. However, this can cause stillbirth or miscarriage and severe birth defects in developing babies. People with rubella can pass the virus to others by sneezing and coughing as well as through their saliva.

They may be contagious for a full week before they develop a rash. The rash caused by German measles typically starts on the face, and within 3 days, it spreads to the rest of the body.

The rash can appear red on light skin. It may be hard to see on darker skin but feel rough or bumpy to the touch. This virus is common in teenagers and young adults but can occur at any age. A rash may occur with infection, though it is not the primary symptom. Like its nickname — the kissing disease — suggests, mono is passed through bodily fluids like saliva.

Mono can have three different types of rashes. Mono rashes can appear as:. Chickenpox , caused by the varicella-zoster virus, causes a rash with fluid-filled pustules. This virus is highly contagious to those who have not been vaccinated. You can catch chickenpox by coming into contact with the saliva of a person who has the virus, such as when they sneeze or cough. You can also get the disease by touching the blisters or the liquid inside the blisters.

Pregnant people can also pass chickenpox to their babies before birth. For those who have received one or two doses of the chickenpox vaccine, milder breakthrough cases can occur, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC.

Shingles infection is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. If you have had chickenpox, you are at risk of developing shingles. The risk of reactivating the virus increases with age, and 1 out of every 2 people in the United States will develop shingles in their lifetime, according to the CDC.

When the virus reactivates, it travels down your nerves to your skin. As the virus spreads there, the shingles rash begins to form. Though similar to chickenpox spots in children, the shingles rash and illness are often more severe in adults. Older adults may also be at risk for complications such as nerve pain, blindness, and neurological conditions. People who develop shingles often note that pain occurred at the site where the rash develops.

Unlike the rash caused by a chickenpox infection, a shingles rash typically occurs on one side of the body, often in a single area or stripe. Hand, foot, and mouth disease is caused by viruses in the enterovirus family. It commonly affects children under age 5, but it can affect people of any age.

It can be very contagious but does not typically cause serious illness. You can get hand, foot, and mouth disease by coming into contact with the bodily fluids of a person who has the virus. This includes:.