Symptoms

• The disease usually begins with a low-grade fever, malaise and headache.
• These symptoms are followed by the characteristic rash on a red base.
• The first spots are flat, red and about 2mm across. Within hours, though, they become vesicles (small sacs) filled with clear fluid. Within a day, the rash progresses through a pustular phase and then becomes crusted and dry.
• A highly characteristic feature of chicken pox is that all the different stages of the lesions may be found at the same time on the child's body.
• The eruption generally begins on the chest, back and face and continues to spread for three to five days.
• As most people who have had the infection know, this rash is extremely itchy and uncomfortable.

Treatment

• Treatment goals include alleviating itch, controlling fever and preventing secondary bacterial skin infections.
• Aveeno baths, calamine lotion and various antihistamines - all available over the counter from a dispensing chemist - are helpful in controlling the itchiness.
• Your child's nails should be kept short so as to avoid scratching the lesions, especially those on the face, which can scar.
• Paracetamol may be used for fever control and the overall aches and pains.

Symptoms

• If your child has measles, he or she will first appear very unwell. They will have some of the following:
  - High fever for three to four days
  - Chills
  - Headache
  - Red, sore eyes with thick discharge
  - Persistent, hacking cough
• Spots occur in the mouth and gums, and then a red rash appears on the scalp and face and behind the ears.
• The rash then spreads downwards until it reaches the feet.
• It then fades in the same order as it appeared.

Treatment

• The most important thing you can do for a child with measles is give supportive treatment such as Paracetamol. Any secondary bacterial infections would need specific - prescribed antibiotic therapy. Encephalitis would need hospitalisation for supportive treatments.
• The severe complications of measles can be devastating. These include:
  - Encephalitis (a meningitis-type infection)
  - Hearing loss
  - Mental retardation
  - Seizure disorders

Symptoms

• The disease is often characterised by an abrupt onset of fever, headache, sore throat and vomiting.
• With scarlet fever, the tongue has a characteristic appearance: bright red and studded with prominent bumps (also called strawberry tongue).
• The face is usually flushed but often pale around the mouth area.
• A rough, sandpaper-like rash often develops, especially on the inner elbows, chest and inner thighs. The rash lasts about four days.
• The diagnosis is usually made with a positive throat culture, after a swab, and the characteristic appearing rash.

Treatment

• This disease is usually treated with an antibiotic - just like strep throat.

Symptoms

• Fifth disease has three distinct stages:
  1. A characteristic red blush, or sunburned-looking rash, appears over both cheeks (hence the name 'slapped-cheek').
  2. The next day, red round spots appear on the arms and legs.
  3. About one week later the first rash fades, causing a lacy marble-like pattern to appear.
• The lacy looking rash is the characteristic finding of this disease.
• The rash may last up to a month and may frequently disappear and then reappear.
• Generally the child feels well and has no fever.
• The diagnosis is usually made clinically. A blood test can be done for parvovirus B19, but this is not usually necessary.
• Children who have the lacy rash are not contagious by this stage and may attend school.
• Note: This virus can be especially dangerous to an unborn child, although in most cases this causes no lasting problems. So, if you are pregnant and have been exposed to this virus, alert your doctor so that your pregnancy can be adequately investigated and monitored.

• The disease is characterised by high fever (up to 106?F/41?C) for 3-5 days that can subside very suddenly.
• Within 24 hours, a rash occurs. The eruption of this rash is pink, characterised by round, flat spots that fade on pressure.
• The rash first starts on the chest and back and may spread to the arms and legs, lasting for a day or two.
• In spite of the high fever, most children with roseola appear quite happy and playful.
• A complication of roseola can be a febrile fit in susceptible people, probably related to the rapid rise in temperature.

Treatment

• There is no specific therapy except for fever reducers and fluids.

Symptoms

• Fever for 2-3 days
• Malaise
• Abdominal pain
• Sore mouth
• Mouth lesions that begin as red spots and turn into small ulcers that may be quite painful, limiting the child's ability to eat or drink.
• Most of those affected have the characteristic lesions on their hands and feet, which appear as vesicles varying in size from 3-7mm and are filled with clear fluid

Treatment

• Treatment for this disease is also non-specific. Fluids and mild pain reliever are usually sufficient.