Thread: Fifth disease
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Old 01-29-2003, 10:32 AM   #3 (permalink)
fungirlz
 
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Angeleyes:
Our data shows the following in regards to your question...
Erythema infectiosum, or "fifth disease", is a common infection of childhood caused by a virus.
The term "fifth disease" does not refer to someone named "Fifth", but rather to the fifth of six classic exanthems, or rash-associated diseases, of childhood. The numbering is of historic interest only: the other examthems, in order are first: measles; second: scarlet fever; third: rubella; fourth: "Dukes' disease", which was never clearly distinguished from other rash-producing diseases and is now thought to have been either measles, rubella, scarlet fever, a Staphylococcal infection, or one of several unspecified enteroviral infections; and sixth: roseola.

The virus responsible for erythema infectiosum is parvovirus B19, a virus that lives only in humans. It seems to be transmitted mainly by body fluids, including droplets produced when you cough or sneeze but also including blood.
Symptoms usually appear within 4 days to 2 weeks after exposure, but may take as long as 3 weeks. The virus seems to be less contagious once the rash appears (so children with the rash can go to school or day-care without exposing others).

The most common symptoms of fifth disease are mild cold symptoms and malaise, fever in up to 1/3 of patients, and a rash.
On the body this rash is usually light red and lacy in appearance -- the typical rash does not look like measles, but some pediatricians refer to it as "Hungarian measles". Occasionally a child with this virus has a rash that looks very much like that of rubella, but this is not common. The best-known rash of fifth disease is on the face, which becomes intensely red, especially on the cheeks, with a pale ring around the mouth ("circumoral pallor"). The face looks like the patient's cheeks have been slapped, and the uninitiated may look at a patient with fifth disease and think that the child was slapped across the face. (The child protection workers in the area where I practice are acquainted with fifth disease and its appearance. Good thing, too.) In addition, joint pain can occur: it's relatively rare in kids but more common in adults. Many people (adults and children) are infected with parvovirus B19 and show no symptoms whatever.

Although very rare, parvovirus B19 infection can produce more severe results, including anemia (and aplastic crisis in patients with sickle-cell anemia or other abnormalities of hemoglobin). It is also possible for parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy to cause "hydrops" (fluid overload and heart failure) in the developing fetus; however, this happens in less than 10% of mothers with proven parvovirus infection in the first trimester (which probably means that the risk is much less than 10%, since many infections go unnoticed). The risk seems to be much lower in the second trimester and may be nonexistent past that point. No one has shown that parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy is associated with birth defects.

There is presently no vaccine available for parvovirus B19, and no good and simple test for it outside of hospital and research laboratories. Since so many infections occure without any symptoms, people are always at risk of exposure. Like many other viruses, however, once you have been infected you are likely to be immune for life. People who spend a lot of time with children (like other children, as well as teachers, day-care workers, and parents) are more likely to be exposed. Since the virus is so widespread, and since problems with the fetus after an infection are so uncommon, infectious-diease authorities feel that keeping pregnant women away from children or adults known to have the virus will not eliminate the risk of infection. If you are a pregnant woman and find out that you have been exposed to a known or suspected case of fifth disease, you should talk to your obstetrician. Ultrasound may help to detect problems with the fetus should they occur. Children who have the rash may go to school or day care without exposing others further (by the time the rash appears the child is no longer contagious), and good handwashing will help you keep from giving the bug to others.
This information is provided by Dr. Reddy

Hope this helps you out..

Julie and Chris
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