Are chickenpox and slap cheek the same at all?

Chickenpox and Slap cheek, also known as Fifth disease, are not the same. While they are both viral infections that cause rashes in children, they are caused by different viruses and have different symptoms.

Chickenpox

* Caused by the varicella-zoster virus

* Characterized by an itchy, blistering rash that spreads all over the body

* Other symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue

* Contagious from 1-2 days before the rash appears until all the blisters have crusted over

* Usually occurs in children between the ages of 5 and 10

* Can be prevented with the chickenpox vaccine

Slap cheek

* Caused by the human parvovirus B19

* Characterized by a rash that starts on the cheeks and spreads to the body

* Other symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, and joint pain

* Contagious from 7 days before the rash appears until 7 days after the rash appears

* Usually occurs in children between the ages of 5 and 15

* Can be prevented with the Fifth disease vaccine