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Fifth Disease: What Parents Should Know

By Billy Pinson

2007 Article Links

Benefits of ASM Membership
Challenges of Writing
Double Epidemic
Fifth Disease
Fish With Hormonal Imbalances
Frankel Photos
Frankel Talk
Hep C Meds
Horror of AIDS
Hantavirus in New Mexico
Juan Reyna
Nature or Nurture
Nosocomial Infections are a Red Flag
Open Eyes to Science
Pandemic Flu Plans
Polio
Project ECHO
Typhoid Mary
West Nile Prevention
Zoo Diseases

Two-year-old Jeff Johnson had just started pre-school in February.  He was interacting with other children every day for the first time, and he always seemed to catch some bug from someone in preschool.

“He always seemed to be coughing or have a runny nose.  I guess it was because he was exposed to so many other kids,” Jeff’s mother Jennifer said.

For about a week, Jeff had a runny nose, a slight fever and a cough.  Jennifer thought this was just one of the many coughs and colds that he had gotten since he started pre-school. 

Then Jeff began to develop a light red rash on his checks, which spread to the rest of his body within four days.  “I was very worried because I didn’t have any idea what this could be,” said Jeff’s mom. 

Jeff had Fifth Disease, a very common childhood illness caused by parvovirus B19.  Fifth Disease usually occurs in children between the ages of 5 and 15, but it can occur in children of any age.      

 Fifth Disease is also called the Slapping Disease because the red color makes it look like the child had his cheeks slapped. “I was worried what the doctor would think because it looked like me or my husband had slapped him on the cheeks,” Jennifer said.

Fifth Disease gets its name from the list of childhood illnesses that cause rashes.  Parvovirus B19 was the fifth disease on the list. 

By the time the rash develops, the cold-like symptoms have already passed and the child no longer appears ill. The rash is not painful, but sometimes children or teenagers complain about mild itching.

The disease is usually very mild, and in Jeff’s case, he did not have to take any medicine.  There is no current anti-viral medication available for Fifth Disease.  Most doctors suggest simple pain relievers such as aspirin or Ibuprofen.  Jeff likely caught the disease from another young child in his pre-school.  Fifth Disease spreads easily through body fluids such as saliva.  For example, another child might cough on another or share the same glass. 

“The pre-school that Jeff goes to has children from 2-7 years old who attend,” said Jennifer.  “The doctor told me that he probably caught it from another child he went to school with.”

Though Jeff’s disease was not serious, Fifth Disease can cause problems if a woman catches it during pregnancy.  The fetus can develop anemia after birth if the mother has Fifth Disease during her pregnancy, and in a one out of every 20 cases, the baby can even die.      

Parents who send their children to pre-school should not worry about the risk of Fifth Disease.  In most cases, proper hand washing and cleanliness should prevent the spread of the disease.    

Billy Pinson is a senior at the University of New Mexico majoring in Professional Writing.  He will be graduating in May.