About Fifth Disease

Your child comes home from school with a bright red rash on his face. You knew he had a cold, and now you realize it was a little more than a cold. It is fifth disease. Does he need to stay home until the rash clears? Are there any complications you should know? These questions are important ones for any parent to ask when their child has this common childhood illness.

History

• "Fifth Disease" is a historic term. The condition, which is characterized by a rash and typically shows up in children, was classically considered one of five childhood diseases that were accompanied by a rash. These included rubella, scarlet fever, measles, and a disease that is now unknown. Parovirus B19, which causes the infection, was first discovered in human blood in the middle 1970s. Prior to that time, little was known about the cause of fifth disease.

Identification

• Fifth disease is sometimes called "Slapped Cheek Syndrome," and this is because many young children who develop the disease have bright red cheeks that look as though they were slapped. This typically spreads to a lacy rash over the rest of the body, with the exception of the bottom of the feet and the palms. Prior to developing the rash, people with fifth disease will have typical cold symptoms, including a runny nose, low fever, headache and congestion.

Time Frame

• The incubation period of fifth disease is 4 to 21 days. This means that the individual can be infected for several weeks before exhibiting any symptoms. The cold-like symptoms typically appear first, clear up, and then are followed by the red cheeks. Around 4 to 14 days after the red cheeks appear, the body rash will develop. It can take up to 3 weeks for the body rash to disappear. The individual is only contagious at the very beginning of the cycle when exhibiting the cold-like symptoms.

Considerations

• People with fifth disease rarely develop any complications. However, the disease is dangerous for babies in the womb. Babies who are still in the womb can become anemic if exposed to the Parovirus B19. Little can be done to prevent exposure, however, because patients are not aware they have the condition until they are no longer contagious. Children with weakened immune systems may become very ill when infected with the parovirus because it slows down the body's production of red blood cells.

Prevention/Solution

• Little can be done to prevent the spread of fifth disease. Children should be encouraged to frequently wash their hands, particularly when they have cold symptoms. There is no point in isolating someone who has the fifth disease rash, since that person is no longer contagious. There is no known treatment for fifth disease, since it is caused by a virus. Children who have a fever or cold symptoms can be treated with over-the-counter medications.