The fifth disease is the fifth “spot disease†and thus owes its name. The disease mainly occurs in children, because many adults have had the disease in childhood and thus become immune to the virus. Although fifth disease is not considered serious for young children, it can cause a lot of distress for pregnant women and people suffering from a blood disorder.
Fifth disease (erythema infectiosum)
Fifth disease mainly occurs in the spring months in children between the ages of 4 and 10. Once someone has had the disease, they are immune to it for life.In young children the disease is usually mild. However, women who have been pregnant for six months or less and are not yet immune to the disease are at risk of having a miscarriage or stillbirth. Unfortunately, it is not possible to protect yourself against the disease, because the virus is transmitted before the symptoms appear.The chance of adults becoming infected with the virus is small, as 60% of people have had the disease in childhood. If an adult does become infected with the virus, he or she will develop little skin rash, but significant complaints about the joints in the hands and feet. These complaints can last for weeks to years.
Pathogen
Fifth disease is caused by a virus. The parvovirus B19.
Way of infection
The parvovirus B19 is located in the throat of an infected person. It spreads through coughing, sneezing and talking, but is not very contagious.What makes the disease annoying is that the parvovirus B19 can be transmitted a week before the characteristic symptoms of the disease (the skin rash) appear. An infected child can therefore infect another, while he does not yet know that he has the disease. When the rash is present, the child is no longer contagious.
Incubation period
Incubation period is the time between infection and outbreak of the disease. The incubation period of fifth disease is 4 to 14 days
Disease symptoms
- Child can just feel good
- High temperature/fever
- Hangover
- High red cheeks with jagged red-pink spots
- Pale around the mouth
- Patchy rash on arms, legs, buttocks and torso
- Spots merge into larger spots
- The rash may become worse with heat
- The rash glows and feels warm to the touch
- The rash causes a burning sensation from the inside
- The rash is itchy
- Pain in the wrist, back and knee joints
Course of the disease
The child’s temperature rises. Small irregular red-pink spots appear on the face. The child’s cheeks turn bright red. It looks as if the child has been hit hard on the cheeks. The skin around the mouth remains pale. After 1 to 4 days, the rash spreads to the arms, legs, buttocks and torso. The spots can be very itchy, feel warm and burning and merge into larger spots. The rash lasts for 7 to 10 days. The spots can return over time when the child experiences cold, heat or exertion. This result is then only short-lived.During the outbreak of the disease, a child may also experience pain in the wrist, back, and knee joints.
Complications
Fifth disease can take a serious course if a child has sickle cell disease or thalassema (hereditary blood disease). The disease canalso be harmful to the unborn if the mother is not immune to the parvovirus B19.
Treatment / care
There is no specific curative treatment for fifth disease. Symptoms such as fever and painful rash can be controlled with paracetamol. If the spots are very itchy, you can relieve this by sprinkling menthol powder on them.Notify the doctor:
- When you are pregnant
When a woman is pregnant for 3 months or less, there is a chance that she will have a miscarriage. If she becomes infected later in the pregnancy, there is a chance that the child will be stillborn. This is because the parvovirus B19 causes blood production to decrease. The child therefore experiences fatal anemia. If a pregnant woman has not yet had fifth disease (has not become immune to it), she should go to the doctor immediately. The doctor can treat her with an intrauterine transfusion, which reduces the risks to the unborn child.
Report to the GGD?
Organizations (daycare centers, schools, etc.) are obliged to report fifth disease to the GGD when 2 children in the same group have become infected with the virus within 2 weeks. However, it is recommended to report as soon as 1 case comes to light. It must be determined whether it is fifth disease and the disease is regularly confused with other spot diseases.Parents and caregivers are wise to inform pregnant women around them, as the disease is dangerous to the unborn. They should also warn parents with children suffering from a blood disorder. If a child has a blood disorder, complications can arise from infection with parvovirus B19.