False measles

Q: My 6 month old son is suffering from "false measles". What is the cause behind it?

A:"False measles" is not a commonly used term in medical communications, but there are a number of fevers associated with rashes on the body which are not caused by the Measles or Rubeola virus. The commonest among them affecting 6 month old babies would be "HHV 6 or the human herpes virus 6" which causes a 3 day period of high fever and then when the fever breaks a red sandpapery rash appears all over the body which also subsides in 2 or 3 days. This fever is known as "Roseola or Erythema subitum" in medical terminology. There are no short term or long term complications of this virus. The main distinction of this illness from Measles is that in Measles the fever continues for 2 or 3 days after the appearance of the rash whereas in Roseola the appearance of the rash is immediately associated with the disappearance of the fever.