Fifth Disease is a communicable disease of early childhood. Please be reassured of the benign nature of this condition to most people.
Pregnant women are at risk during their entire pregnancy due to the fact that the virus can infect the fetus and should see their doctor immediately if exposed.
What is Fifth Disease? It is a mildly contagious, self-limiting childhood rash caused by Parvovirus B19. Infected persons presumably through direct contact spread it by droplet infection. The incubation period is 4 to 14 days. The period of infectivity is for 2-3 days about 1 week prior to the appearance of facial rash. Once the rash appears they are no longer contagious. The child may return to school once the fever subsides and they feel well.
A rash appears in three stages:
1. Erythema or redness on the face, chiefly on the cheeks. They have a “slapped face” appearance, which disappears by 1 to 4 days with low-grade fever and slight malaise.
2. About 1 day after the rash appears on the face, raised red spots appear, symmetrically distributed on the upper and lower extremities. The rash progresses from the center of the body out. It may last a week or more.
3. In this final stage the rash subsides, but reappears if the skin is traumatized (sun, heat, cold, friction).
The illness usually lasts 5 to 10 days, but the eruption may recur for several weeks afterwards and may be aggravated by sunlight, exercise, heat, fever, or emotional stress.
Adults that get this may have mild joint pain and swelling that persists or recurs for weeks to months.
Treatment: Only symptomatic
Prevention: The disease is spread by droplets produced by a cough or a sneeze, therefore covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing is essential. GOOD AND FREQUENT HANDWASHING may substantially reduce the risk of developing the disease.
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