About Fifth Disease

Fifth disease is actually just a viral illness that most kids recover from quickly and without complications.

Fifth disease (also called erythema infectiosum) is caused by parvovirus B19. A human virus, parvovirus B19 is not the same parvovirus that veterinarians may be concerned about in pets, especially dogs, and it cannot be passed from humans to animals or vice versa.

Studies show that although 40% to 60% of adults worldwide have laboratory evidence of a past parvovirus B19 infection, most can’t remember having had symptoms of fifth disease. This leads medical experts to believe that most people with a B19 infection have either very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.

Fifth disease occurs everywhere in the world. Outbreaks tend to happen in the late winter and early spring, but there can be sporadic cases of the disease throughout the year.

Causes Fifth Disease

Fifth disease is caused by parvovirus B19 and is spread by respiratory secretions from an infected person. By the time the rash appears, children are no longer contagious and may attend school or day care. The incubation period (the period between infection and signs or symptoms of illness) is usually four to 14 days, but can be as long as 21 days.

Adults who work with young children  such as child-care providers, teachers, and those in health care fields are most likely to be exposed.

Symptoms of Fifth Disease

The first symptoms of fifth disease are very general. They often include the following:

• headache
• fatigue
• low-grade fever
• sore throat
• nausea

After a few days of suffering with these symptoms, most young patients develop a red rash that first appears on the cheeks. The rash often spreads to the arms, legs, and trunk of the body within a few days. The rash may last for weeks, but usually by the time you see it you are no longer contagious.

The rash is more likely to appear in children than in adults with fifth disease. In fact, the main symptom adults usually experience is joint pain. The joint pain can last for several weeks and is usually most prominent in the wrists, ankles, and knees.