There is no specific treatment for roseola -antibiotics do not help. You should encourage your child to drink as much fluids as possible, as this will help reduce the fever. The use of cold water to reduce the temperature is not necessary as this is uncomfortable and may result in a 'rebound' increase in temperature. Once a child has been infected with HHV-6 the virus can remain dormant in the body throughout adult life without causing any further illness. If the virus reactivates in a healthy person their immune system will force the virus to stop replicating and go back into dormancy.
Problems start to occur if the virus reactivates in persons with a damaged immune system.
These patients will not have a fully working immune system to control the virus if it becomes active so it is free to replicate and cause disease. Complications due to HHV-6 are commonly seen in AIDS and transplant patients. Studies have also shown that HHV-6 is found in high amounts in Multiple Sclerosis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients, indicating the virus might have a role to play in causing these diseases. For more information on Roseola or HHV-6 please ask your clinician. Please bookmark this site and recommend it to your doctor.