The key difference between measles and roseola is that measles is a highly contagious infection caused by the measles virus, whereas Roseola (exanthema subitum) is a common disease among young children, caused by human herpes viruses, HHV-6, and HHV-7, which are referred to collectively as Roseolovirus.
Measles and Roseola are two distinct infections caused by different viruses.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Measles
3. What is Roseola
4. Measles vs. Roseola in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Measles vs. Roseola
What is Measles?
Measles is a highly contagious infection caused by the measles virus. Initial signs and symptoms of measles include very high fever and respiratory symptoms, including cough, runny nose, and red eyes. Two or three days after the initial symptoms, small white spots may appear on the mucosa of the mouth, which are known as Koplik’s spots. Typically a reddish, maculopapular rash that starts on the face and back of the ear lobes spreads to the rest of the body. This begins three to five days after the initial symptoms. The incubation period is around 10–12 days, and the symptoms last about 7–10 days. Complications may occur in about 1/3 of the cases due to the involvement of the other organs and may include diarrheal illness, blindness, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), pneumonia, etc.
Measles is an airborne disease that spreads easily through the respiratory droplets of an infected person. It may also be spread via direct contact. Measles can be easily diagnosed by its typical appearance. However, antibody levels in the serum against the virus are important in the diagnosis of atypical cases. It is a self-limiting condition and cured by the body’s immune system, and it will ensure long-term immunity. Isolation to prevent the infection and supportive care are important during the illness. Antibiotics may be used if a secondary bacterial infection such as pneumonia is present. It is a vaccine-preventable disease and is recommended by the WHO for infant immunization programs.
Figure 1: Measles virus attaching to an epithelial cell
Although it is well-established that the measles virus causes this illness, some people deny this fact. Measles can be fatal for malnourished children and immuno-compromised children such as those infected with HIV.
What is Roseola?
Roseola is a viral infection that usually affects children by age 2. However, it has been known to occur in eighteen-year-olds, whose manifestations are limited to a mild rash following a febrile illness. The symptom begins with a sudden high fever which can cause rarely febrile fits with the sudden rise in body temperature. However, in many cases, the child appears normal despite very high temperatures. When the fever subsides, a red rash appears, which begins on the trunk, spreads to the legs and neck. The rash is non-itchy, lasting up to 1 to 2 days. As a complication, liver dysfunction has been reported in rare cases.
Figure 2: Electron micrograph of HHV-6, which can cause Roseola
Roseola is a self-limiting illness, and hydration during high fever is important. Paracetamol could be given to reduce the temperature. Aspirin should not be used due to the risk of Reye’s syndrome, which is a serious form of the encephalitis-like condition that occurs with NSAIDs in children. There are no effective vaccines against this infection.
What is the Difference Between Measles and Roseola?
Measles is an infection caused by the measles virus, which causes an illness displaying a characteristic skin rash known as an exanthem. Measles is also sometimes called rubeola, 5-day measles, or hard measles. Roseola is a common disease of babies or young children, in which several days of very high fever are followed by a rash. This is the key difference between measles and roseola.
Measles is caused by the measles virus, while roseola is caused by HHV-6 and HHV-7. Moreover, measles has no age specification, whereas roseola typically affects children between 6 months and 2 years of age. In addition, measles has a very high fever with associated upper respiratory symptoms; however, roseola in children looks normal despite very high temperatures during the initial stage. Measles is vaccine-preventable, while roseola does not have an effective vaccine. Overall, measles is associated with serious complications such as encephalitis and pneumonia. But roseola is a milder disease with no associated serious complications.
The following table summarizes the difference between measles and roseola.
Summary – Measles vs Roseola
The key difference between measles and roseola is that measles is a highly contagious infection caused by the measles virus, whereas Roseola (exanthema subitum) is a common disease among young children, caused by human herpes viruses, HHV-6, and HHV-7, which are referred to collectively as Roseolovirus.
Reference:
1. “Roseola.” Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine.
2. “Measels.” Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine.
Image Courtesy:
1. “MeaslesOsmosisPic5” By Osmosis – Osmosis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Measles.webm (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Hhv-6 (1)” By Bernard Kramarsky (Photographer) – by the National Cancer Institute (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia