What causes fifth's disease?

鈥?Fifth's disease is a viral infection caused by the human parvovirus B19.
鈥?It is a mildly contagious disease of childhood that tends to affect children ages 3 to 12.
鈥?Its incubation period is 6 to 14 days.

Symptoms

鈥?Fifth's disease has three distinct stages:

First a red blush or sunburned looking rash appears over both cheeks.
The next day, red round spots appear on the arms and legs.
About one week later the first rash fades, causing a lacy marble-like pattern to appear.
鈥?The lacy looking rash is the characteristic finding of this disease.
鈥?The rash may last up to a month and may frequently disappear and then reappear.
鈥?Generally the child feels well and has no fever.
鈥?The diagnosis is usually made clinically; however, a blood test can be done for parvovirus B19.
鈥?Children who have the lacy rash are not contagious by this stage and may attend school.

What is "fifth disease"?
Fifthdisease is a temporary illness caused by a virus known as parvovirus B 19. Fifth disease (also known as "erythema infectiosum" and "slap cheek")is so named because in the pre-vaccination era, it was frequentlythe "fifth disease" that a child would develop. About50% of adults have been infected with the virus but do not rememberhaving it because it often does not cause symptoms.

What are the symptoms of fifth disease?
Fifth disease generally occurs in children between5-15 years of age, but can affect any age group, including adults. It most commonly occurs during the winter and spring. The illnessbegins with a low-grade fever and malaise (a sense of not feelingwell). This is followed by a characteristic bright red rash onthe cheeks (the so called "slapped cheeks" rash). Finally,a fine, red, lace-like rash can develop over the rest of thebody. This rash may last for 5 days to a week and occasionallycomes and goes for up to 3 weeks. The other symptoms are usuallygone by the time the rash appears.