Childhood Rashes Quiz | Health and Human Biology

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The classic lesion of this illness is described as looking like a "dewdrop on a rose petal." The first ones usually appear on the face or trunk, with new ones arising over the next 5-7 days. As the new spots appear, the older ones become crusted over. Once all lesions are crusted, the child may return to school because they are no longer likely to be contagious.

Answer: chickenpox

Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. As with all viruses in the herpesvirus family, once you become infected the virus resides permanently in your body, usually in a dormant state. Varicella is another name for chickenpox. Zoster is shingles, which is what can happen if dormant virus emerges from the spinal root ganglion.

A vaccine is available to prevent childhood varicella, and another vaccine is available for people at risk of developing painful shingles.

2. Children acquire this illness before age 5, usually before age 2. It can actually take many forms, but the classic illness includes extremely high fever (~103-104 degrees Fahrenheit) for 1-3 days, with fussiness. Once the fever resolves, the rash appears - it is usually a faint pink rash predominantly on the trunk.

Answer: roseola

Roseola is caused by human herpesvirus 6. Previously, classic childhood rash illnesses were assigned numbers - roseola was "sixth disease." Thus, when the virus was discovered it was natural to call it HHV6, and fitting since 5 other herpesviruses had already been described! (we're up to at least 8 now)

3. The cause of this unknown illness has not yet been identified (although candidates have been proposed). Children ages 1-7 are most commonly affected. To diagnose this illness, the child must have high, sustained fever for at least three days and 4 of 5 other criteria - rash, red eyes without discharge, swollen hands/feet, enlarged lymph node in the neck, and changes to their mouth/lips. If untreated, some children will develop aneurysms of the coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood.

Answer: Kawasaki disease

The treatment for Kawasaki disease is intravenous immune globulin - the response is dramatic; children who are admitted to the hospital miserable and very ill appearing are running around the room the next day. KD is a "diagnosis of exclusion," meaning the medical team has to rule out other potential causes of fever and rash before assuming it is Kawasaki disease. Kabuki syndrome is a congenital malformation condition in which the child's face has been likened to actors in Kabuki theater. Kikuchi disease includes fever and an enlarged lymph node, but not the rest of the findings.

4. This rash illness is caused by the same bacterium that causes "strep throat." If untreated, it may lead to problems with the heart and joints.

Answer: scarlet fever

Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A Streptococcus, causes the common strep throat and the less common scarlet fever. The rash of scarlet fever is described as feeling like sandpaper, and obviously is bright red. Readers of Little Women and the Velveteen Rabbit will recognize that before antibiotics were invented, this was a potentially fatal infection. Untreated streptococcal infection may result in rheumatic fever, which affects the heart and joints.

5. What type of infectious agent causes ringworm?

Answer: fungus

"Ringworm" is more formally called tinea. Tinea pedis = athlete's foot, tinea capitis is on the head, tinea corporis on the body and tinea cruris = jock itch. The lesions are usually round with a raised border and light center, which I presume reminded folks of a worm under the skin, hence the name.

It is caused by several different fungi in the environment. Cats are notorious carriers.

6. If a woman contracts this rash illness while pregnant, she may not be very ill but the baby is at risk to be born with spots that make the infant look like a blueberry muffin, heart defects, eye defects and deafness.

Answer: rubella

Rubella, or "German measles", is a fairly mild rash illness but causes severe birth defects if contracted in pregnancy. The "MMR" vaccine includes measles, mumps and rubella, and in the US all pregnant women are checked for their rubella immunity. Congenital rubella is now very rare in the US, but unfortunately still occurs in the developing world.

7. This rash looks like "slapped cheeks," with fiery red cheeks and a lacy pink to red rash on the arms especially. The children may not be very ill, but if a pregnant woman contracts this infection it can endanger the fetus.

Answer: fifth disease

"Fifth" disease (AKA erythema infectiosum) was one of the classical numbered childhood rashes. The causative agent is parvovirus B19, which is not the same virus as the horrendous parvovirus infection of dogs. Adults (especially women) may develop arthritis following infection, but children usually don't have too much trouble.

The rash can come and go, especially with exposure to sunlight, for weeks to months. The virus stops production of red blood cells, so anyone with rapid turnover of red cells gets in trouble - fetuses, sickle cell patients, etc.

8. A vaccine against this rash illness has been available for decades. Despite this, widespread outbreaks occurred in the US in the 1980's, prompting recognition that two doses of vaccine were necessary to provide ideal protection for the population. The infection is deadly for children who are malnourished or coinfected with HIV.

Answer: measles

The classic signs and symptoms of measles are "cough, coryza, conjunctivitis and Koplik's spots." Coryza is nasal congestion and discharge, conjunctivitis is inflammation of the eyes, and Koplik's spots are tiny spots inside the cheeks.

9. The virus that causes this illness can also cause meningitis and inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis).

Answer: hand, foot and mouth disease

The usual culprit in hand, foot and mouth is Coxsackie A15, which is in the same large family as the polioviruses. The virus circulates more in the summer, and causes small blisters on the palms, soles, inside of the mouth and often the buttocks. The blisters rupture easily and are not painful, leaving shallow ulcers.

The illness is not serious and runs its course. Meningitis from this virus gives you a severe headache but usually doesn't cause any lasting problems. The myocarditis, however, can be fatal. Lyme disease affects the heart and brain also, but is caused by a type of bacteria, not a virus.

10. The medical term for a rash is "exanthem."

Answer: True

Similarly, an "enanthem" is a rash on mucous membranes.

Source: Author pusdoc

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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Childhood Rashes Trivia Quiz

Children get all sorts of illnesses, many of which are accompanied by blotches and bumps. How many rashes can you spot?

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