Fifth Disease and Me

It has been brought to my attention that I have withheld information concerning Fifth Disease and everyone’s risk of getting this disease.

I am a little shocked by this since it was my big mouth that prompted an entire school of pregnant women to go get tested to see if they had the disease. I also contacted every pregnant woman that I knew had been ANYWHERE around us to go get tested. I did all this with absolutely no confirmation that we even had the disease, but wanted to be safe than sorry. As I have found out more about the disease and have talked to both my Pediatrician and Ob/Gyn I have given this information to the people who needed it. I also told each and every one of them to contact their own physicians to get more information.

Now, so I can’t be accused of withholding information, this is the situation… We were exposed to Fifth Disease 6 weeks ago. We found out two weeks after we were exposed that I needed to be tested. I went in for a blood test on a Thursday. That Sunday my youngest son, Nathan, had red cheeks. For those of you who know nothing about the disease, here is some information I found on the internet on it…

Fifth Disease

Especially common in kids between the ages of 5 and 15, fifth disease typically produces a distinctive red rash on the face that makes the child appear to have a slapped cheek. The rash then spreads to the trunk, arms, and legs. Despite being called a "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 of these adults 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 of parvovirus tend to happen in the late winter and early spring, but there may also be sporadic cases of the disease any time throughout the year.
Signs and Symptoms
Fifth disease begins with a low-grade fever, headache, and mild cold-like symptoms (a stuffy or runny nose). These symptoms pass, and the illness seems to be gone until a rash appears a few days later. The bright red rash typically begins on the face. Several days later, the rash spreads and red blotches (usually lighter in color) extend down to the trunk, arms, and legs. The rash usually spares the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. As the centers of the blotches begin to clear, the rash takes on a lacy net-like appearance. Children younger than 10 years of age are most likely to get the rash.
Older kids and adults sometimes complain that the rash itches, but most children with a rash caused by fifth disease do not look sick and no longer have fever. It may take 1 to 3 weeks for the rash to completely clear, and during that time it may seem to worsen until it finally fades away entirely.
Certain stimuli (including sunlight, heat, exercise, and stress) may reactivate the rash until it completely fades. Other symptoms that sometimes occur with fifth disease include swollen glands, red eyes, sore throat, diarrhea, and unusual rashes that look like blisters or bruises.
In some cases, especially in adults and older teens, an attack of fifth disease may be followed by joint swelling or pain, often in the hands, wrists, knees, or ankles.
Contagiousness
A person with parvovirus infection is most contagious before the rash appears — either during the incubation period (the time between infection and the onset of symptoms) or during the time when he or she has only mild respiratory symptoms. Because the rash of fifth disease is an immune reaction (a defense response launched by the body against foreign substances like germs) that occurs after the infection has passed, a child is usually not contagious once the rash appears.
Parvovirus B19 spreads easily from person to person in fluids from the nose, mouth, and throat of someone with the infection, especially through large droplets from coughs and sneezes. It can also be spread through shared drinking glasses and utensils.
In households where a child has fifth disease, another family member who hasn't previously had parvovirus B19 has about a 50% chance of also getting the infection. Classmates of kids with fifth disease have about a 60% chance of getting the virus. Once infected with parvovirus B19, a person develops immunity to it and won't usually become infected again.
Parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy may cause problems for the fetus. Some fetuses may develop severe anemia if the mother is infected while pregnant — especially if the infection occurs during the first half of the pregnancy. In some cases, this anemia is so severe that the fetus doesn't survive. Fortunately, about half of all pregnant women are immune from having had a previous infection with parvovirus. Serious problems occur in less than 5% of women who become infected during pregnancy.
Prevention
There is no vaccine for fifth disease, and no real way to prevent spreading the virus. Isolating someone with a fifth disease rash won't prevent spread of the infection because the person usually isn't contagious by that time.
Practicing good hygiene, especially frequent hand washing, is always a good idea since it can help prevent the spread of many infections.
Incubation
The incubation period (the time between infection and the onset of symptoms) for fifth disease ranges from 4 to 28 days, with the average being 16 to 17 days.
Duration
The rash of fifth disease usually lasts 1 to 3 weeks. In a few cases in older kids and adults, joint swelling and pain because of fifth disease have lasted from a few months up to a few years.
Diagnosis
Doctors can usually diagnose fifth disease by the distinctive rash on the face and body. If a child or adult has no telltale rash but has been sick for a while, a doctor may perform blood tests to see if the illness could be caused by parvovirus B19.
Treatment
Fifth disease is caused by a virus, and it cannot be treated with antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections. Although antiviral medicines do exist, there are currently none available that will treat fifth disease. In most cases, this is such a mild illness that no medicine is necessary.
Usually, children with fifth disease feel fairly well and need little home treatment other than rest. After the fever and mild cold symptoms have passed, there may be little to treat except any discomfort from the rash itself. If your child has itching from the rash of fifth disease, ask the doctor for advice about relieving discomfort. The doctor may also recommend acetaminophen for fever or joint pain.
Complications
The majority of kids with fifth disease recover with no complications. By the time the rash appears and while it's present, they usually feel well and are back to their normal activities.
However, some children with weakened immune systems (such as those with AIDS or leukemia) or with certain blood disorders (like sickle cell anemia or hemolytic anemia) may become significantly ill when infected with parvovirus B19. Parvovirus B19 can temporarily slow down or stop the body's production of the oxygen-carrying red blood cells (RBCs), causing anemia.
When a child is healthy, this slowdown of red blood cell production usually goes unnoticed because it doesn't affect overall health. But kids who are already anemic can become very sick if their RBC production is further affected by the virus. Their RBC levels may drop dangerously low, affecting the supply of oxygen to the body's tissues. They may become very pale and sick-looking, develop a rapid pulse and abnormally fast breathing, have a fever, and be much less active than usual. Blood transfusions and oxygen given in the hospital may be necessary to treat the severe anemia until the child recovers from the parvovirus infection.
When to Call the Doctor
Call the doctor if your child develops a rash, especially if the rash is widespread over the body or accompanied by other symptoms.
If you're pregnant and develop a rash or if you've been exposed to someone with fifth disease (or to anyone with an unusual rash), call your obstetrician.


As you read above, there is no way to quarantine a person who may have this disease. By the time a person has the rash they are NO LONGER contagious. We have also NOT been confirmed as having this. Luke had a rash, like welt on his stomach nearly five weeks ago. When I asked the doctor if it could have been from the Fifth Disease, she said it was possible, but that it could have been ANYTHING! She also said she would find it hard to diagnose it as that since he didn’t have the red cheeks or any other symptoms at the time. We found out later that he had Juicy Juice the day before and it could have been an allergic reaction from that. As far as Nathan is concerned, he has had no other symptom than red cheeks. The rash never spread to his body. He now has a runny nose, but we are 2 ½ weeks from the time his red cheeks started.

As a precautionary I have been having blood tests done to make sure there is no exposure. The only way to know with 100% certainty whether my children have it is to have my children’s blood drawn. As a mother I think it is ridiculous to even consider taking my 1, 2 and 5 year old up to have them draw a vile of blood to keep the public and rumors from spreading. If you think this is wrong, then I ask you to take your own child in and have this done and then I will reconsider my decision. If I was around you around the time Nathan MAY have been contagious then I have already contacted you. None of my other children have had any symptoms and we are 6 weeks out from our first exposure and nearly 3 weeks out from when Nathan may or may not have had it. I also assure you, that we were never under quarantine. If you read through the entire information above you know that this would do NO good. My doctor told us due to people already freaking out about being around us on Thanksgiving that we would be better off staying home for Thanksgiving so we wouldn’t be blamed if someone got the disease. She also said they are just as likely to get the disease from Wal-Mart as they are from me, but people are always looking for someone to blame. The spreading of Fifth Disease CAN NOT be blamed on one family or one church or organization.

I assure you, that if I have any other information I will do my best to notify EVERYONE immediately. I don’t believe this is my job since I’m not a Health Care worker, but I wouldn’t want to keep information from anyone who has the same ability as I do to pick up a phone and call their own doctors to get information. Thank you for your time!