How to Recognize the Symptoms of Fifth Disease

Fifth disease, otherwise known as Erythema infectiosum, is caused by parvovirus B19. It only infects humans. It is not to be confused with the parvovirus that affects dogs and cats. While it is sometimes found in adults, children are the most likely to contract the disease.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Learn to Recognize Fifth Disease Symptoms

1. Understand adults may experience swelling and pain in the joints. This is a type of arthritis that mainly causes distress in the wrists, knees and fingers.

2. Find children may experience symptoms such as a low-grade fever and cold symptoms.

3. Look for a red rash (erythema) on the arms, cheeks, trunk and legs to appear about seven days into the illness. This rash has been called "slapped cheek" rash. It has the appearance of a hand slapped across the face.

4. Understand symptoms of fifth disease are quite easy to recognize in children between the ages of five and 15.

5. Realize that the rash may be intermittent for up to three weeks. Once the rash appears, most of the other symptoms are gone.

6. Expect many patients with fifth disease to complain of itching associated with the rash.

Define Complications of Fifth Disease

7. Understand a rare complication of fifth disease affects the formation of white and red blood cells. When these are not formed correctly, the condition can become fatal.

8. Know that fifth disease can be serious for those with a weak immune system caused by leukemia, HIV or any type of cancer.

9. Recognize fifth disease can be harmful for a developing fetus. Pregnant women should avoid exposure to the disease since it can cause death of a fetus.

10. Realize that many people are infected with the parvovirus B19 without showing any signs of illness. Symptoms range from none to mild or full-blown.

11. Find that fifth disease has not been linked to any reports of birth defects, including mental retardation.

12. Understand that the parvovirus B19 associated with fifth disease is not the same parvovirus that causes harm to dogs and cats. The animal parvovirus is not contagious to humans.

Tips & Warnings

• Fifth disease is most common during the winter and spring seasons.
• Fifth disease gets its name from the pre-vaccination era. It was typically the fifth disease contracted by a child.
• Fifth disease is a virus spread mostly by the droplets from coughing and sneezing. Persons determined to have the disease should be isolated until the rash is present.

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