Rash, usually of viral origin, accompanied by systemic symptoms such as fever, headache and malaise. Symptoms can be secondary to a reaction to toxin produced by the organism, damage to the skin by the organism or an immune response. The causative viruses for chickenpox, measles, rubella, roseola, erythema infectiosum (fifth disease), hand foot and mouth disease and a number of other organisms cause distinctive patterns of rashes and prodromal symptoms. When there are no characteristic lesions and/or distinctive prodromal signs and symptoms, diagnosis of a specific cause may not be possible. Viral exanthems overview: Viral exanthems (PCDS).

Hand foot and mouth disease, chickenpox, glandular fever/infectious mononucleosis, herpes Simplex/cold sore, measles, molluscum contagiosum, mumps, rubella, parvovirus B19, antiviral drugs: see infectious diseases/sepsis