Table: Some Viral Infections in Children That Cause a Rash

Some Viral Infections in Children That Cause a Rash

Infection	Period of Incubation	Period of Contagiousness	Site of Rash	Nature of Rash
Measles Measles Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that causes various cold-like symptoms and a characteristic rash. Measles is caused by a virus. Symptoms include fever, runny nose, hacking cough... read more (rubeola)	7 to 14 days	From 2 to 4 days before the rash appears until 2 to 5 days after	Starts around the ears and on the face and neck Spreads to the trunk, arms, and legs	Begins 3 to 5 days after the start of fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, and sore throat and lasts 3 to 5 days Irregular, flat, red areas that soon become raised
Rubella Rubella Rubella is a contagious viral infection that typically causes mild symptoms, such as joint pain and a rash, but can cause severe birth defects if the mother becomes infected with rubella during... read more (German measles)	14 to 21 days	From a week before the rash appears until a week after it appears Infected newborns are usually contagious for many months	Starts on the face and neck Spreads to the trunk, arms, and legs	Begins 1 or 2 days after the start of mild fever, swollen and tender lymph nodes, red eyes, and headache and lasts 3 to 5 days Fine, pinkish, flat rash
Roseola infantum Roseola Infantum Roseola infantum is a viral infection of infants or very young children that causes a high fever followed by a rash. Roseola infantum is caused by human herpesvirus-6. Typical symptoms include... read more (exanthem subitum or pseudorubella)	About 5 to 15 days	Unknown	Starts on the trunk and usually spreads to the neck, face, arms, and legs	Begins on about the 4th day after the start of a high fever and usually just when the fever ends and lasts for hours to a few days Pinkish red, flat or raised rash
Erythema infectiosum Erythema Infectiosum Erythema infectiosum is a contagious viral infection that causes a blotchy or raised red rash and a slapped-cheek red rash on the face along with mild illness. Erythema infectiosum is caused... read more (fifth disease or parvovirus B19 infection)	4 to 14 days	From before the start of the rash until 1 to 2 days after	Starts on the cheeks Spreads to the arms, legs, and trunk	Begins several days after the start of low fever, headache, and runny nose and lasts 5 to 10 days May recur for several weeks Red rash on the cheeks (slapped-cheek rash) spreads to the arms, legs, and trunk and becomes lighter and blotchy with lacy patterns
Chickenpox Chickenpox Chickenpox is a highly contagious viral infection with the varicella-zoster virus that causes a characteristic itchy rash, consisting of small, raised, blistered, or crusted spots. Chickenpox... read more (varicella)	11 to 15 days	From a few days before the start of symptoms until all spots have crusted	Starts on the face, neck, and trunk Spreads to the arms, legs, and scalp	Appears in crops, so various stages are present simultaneously Begins shortly after the start of fever and feeling of illness and lasts a few days to 2 weeks Small, flat, red spots that become raised and form round, fluid-filled blisters against a red background before finally crusting