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Roseola infantum (baby measles) is a mild viral infection common in children aged six months to two years. Typical symptoms are a sudden raised temperature (39-40 degrees celcius), Irritability and maybe even a fever convulsion.
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Hand foot and mouth disease is most common in summer when it may occur in outbreaks. There is little fever and the first sign may be a disinclination to feed or eat. A few small ulcers will be seen on the tongue or elsewhere in the mouth. Soon painless pearl-like blisters appear on the palms and soles and on the outside of the hands and feet. All heal in about a week. This is a mild infection and no treatment is required.
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Fever is not a prominent feature in German measles; the rash may just appear suddenly or follow a day or two after having a sore throat and being mildly unwell. Tiny flat pink spots appear first on the face before rapidly spreading to the body and limbs.
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Kawasaki disease is a rare but dangerous illness. It can occur in children aged between one and eight years. The temperature rises suddenly and the child feels ill. After two days of fever they have red eyes and a sore red mouth, lips, tongue and throat. There is frequently enlargement of the neck glands. A generalised rash appears (often involving the nappy area) and this can take several forms. Characteristically there is swelling and redness of the hands and feet.
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Meningococcal infection can affect any age. The infection may be present only in the bloodstream or it may rapidly lead to meningitis. If the latter the symptoms are fever, headache, vomiting and neck stiffness, often with convulsions and disturbed consciousness. If the former the picture is less clear-cut – fever, vomiting, rapid breathing and heart rate, and muscle pains. A rash starts off as a few scattered red spots anywhere on the body, rapidly becoming big, dark-purple spots which look lik
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Glandular fever usually occurs in older children; rarely in those under 10 years. A severe throat infection with fever is the most common symptom. Most cases have general enlargement of lymph glands in the neck, armpits and groin. Other features may be swelling around the eyes, abdominal pain (due to enlargement of the spleen and liver) and occasionally jaundice.
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Chickenpox starts with fever and feeling unwell with more severe and prolonged symptoms in older patients. In many the first symptom is an itchy rash which consists of a crop of spots that become raised and within hours turn into small round blisters. A series of crops then appear on the face, scalp, body and limbs. After three to four days the blisters contain pus, then form scabs which dry out. The lesions may also develop in the mouth, around the eyes or in the genital area.
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Symptoms of Measles are a sudden onset of fever, fretfulness, a runny nose, red watering eyes and coughing, all worsening over three days. Young children may have severe diarrhoea.
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Erythemainfectiosum is a viral infection and is generally a very mild illness with slight fever followed by the appearance of a rash. It is most common in children of school-going age but often causes no symptoms at all. The first sign is very red cheeks with some paleness around the mouth. Then a spotty, red, slightly itchy rash comes out on the body and limbs.
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A child’s first contact with the “cold sore virus” may result in a troublesome acute infection in the mouth. It starts with a rise in temperature and soon painful ulcers erupt anywhere in the mouth or throat, inside the cheeks or on the tongue. The sores are really little blisters which rapidly burst, leaving a raw surface. At the same time the gums become red and swollen. The fever and infection can last for a week or more during which the child is sick and irritable.
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Scarlet fever usually occurs in children older than four years. Typically the child suddenly complains of a sore throat, headache and abdominal pain, and has a high fever. A rash appears after 2-3 days, first in the armpits and groin, spreading to the body and limbs. The skin folds are more intensely red. The cheeks are flushed and there is paleness round the mouth.
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In Shingles spots suddenly appear in a group on half the body or head. These become blisters of various sizes which may burst, leaving raw areas, and become infected. In adults, but not generally in children, the rash may be preceded by pain, which can persist for long periods after the rash has healed.
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