Not all kinds of herpes infection are sexually transmitted

Resolved question:

Doctor, my baby is 1 year old. Few weeks back, he refused to eat and felt hot. I took him to nearby doctor and he said he had roseola. He predicted the baby would break out in a rash and he was right.  Two days later, he broke out in rash all over his body. Doctor said that it is a herpes infection. The only herpes infection I know is a sexual infection. This can’t be the same thing on my boy had, can it?

Submitted: 4 Days
Category: Community

Expert:  Dr. Cecelia J. Russ replied 4 Days.

Not a sexually transmitted disease, but it is a herpes infection. There are 8 herpes viruses, and each one causes a different illness. Herpes-1 is a virus that causes cold sores. Herpes-2 is a sexually transmitted illness. Herpes-6 is the virus that caused your son’s illness, roseola, a common childhood infection.

In this infection, there is a sharp rise in body’s temperature and affected person becomes irritable and stops eating. Once fever goes, child breaks out in a red rash that starts on neck and then spreads to face, arms and legs. The rash makes child look sick, but actually is feeling quite well. It goes away in one or two days.

Swollen labia majora, sore. Sexually inactive. Soaked in warm water. Reason?

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