Parvovirus B19 causes fifth disease, a contagious childhood illness with a rash on the face. Adults can also be infected, with pregnant women, those with autoimmune problems, and anemia at risk of serious complications. Symptoms include sore throat, low fever, and tummy ache, with rashes spreading to the thighs. Adults may also experience joint pain and swelling. Rest, fluids, and acetaminophen can help, but hospitalization may be required for some. There is no vaccine, and prevention involves washing hands frequently.
Parvovirus B19 is the virus that causes fifth disease, a common childhood illness. Fifth disease is characterized by a rash on the face that looks like slapped cheeks, which appears in the later stages of the disease. This childhood disease is contagious during its early stages before the rash appears. While parvovirus B19 usually affects children, adults can also be infected. Pregnant women, adults with autoimmune problems, and adults with anemia can develop serious complications from fifth disease.
Fifth disease is contagious, although not everyone who becomes infected will show symptoms. Parvovirus B19 is transmitted from person to person in the same way that the common cold or flu is spread, such as by contact with saliva or mucous membranes. Although family pets can develop parvovirus, dog or cat parvovirus is different from parvovirus B19. People cannot get infected with fifth disease because their pets have parvovirus.
Symptoms of a parvovirus B19 infection in babies during the early stages can resemble other illnesses. These symptoms can include sore throat, low fever, and tummy ache. After the rashes appear on the face, the rashes can spread to the thighs. Children are more prone to getting fifth disease during the fall and spring months. Children, as well as adults, only get fifth disease once in their lifetime, as most develop an immunity to the virus.
Adults who have fifth disease may also have the lacy rashes that children develop. Additionally, adults may experience swelling and pain in their joints, which can affect them for weeks. Pregnant women who contract fifth disease early in pregnancy may have miscarriages or stillbirths. People who have anemia, including sickle cell disease, and people who have compromised immune systems can experience a drop in red blood cells, resulting in the development of a more critical or severe level of anemia.
Most people, regardless of their age, are able to resist a parvovirus B19 infection by resting, drinking fluids, and taking acetaminophen to lower fever or reduce pain. Parents should not give their children aspirin as a home treatment. Although the risk is small, children who take aspirin can develop Reye’s syndrome, a disease that causes swelling of the brain and liver. People with weakened autoimmune systems, people with anemia, and pregnant women may require hospitalization if infected with parvovirus B19.
Fifth disease is diagnosed by blood tests or by the characteristic rash that develops late in the disease. Because most people aren’t diagnosed until their rashes develop and are no longer contagious, preventing fifth disease can be difficult, especially since there are no vaccines available. If a parent or patient treats the early stages of an illness resembling the common cold or the flu by washing their hands a lot, the risk of infecting others with any disease can be reduced.
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