Parvovirus B19 Parvovirus B19 is a DNA virus which as the ca | Cᴸᴵᴺᴵᶜᴬᴸ Sᴴᴼᴿᵀ Nᴼᵀᴱˁ🍃

Parvovirus B19

Parvovirus B19 is a DNA virus which as the cause of erythema infectiosum

Erythema infectiosum (also known as fifth disease or 'slapped-cheek syndrome')

The illness may consist of a mild feverish illness which is hardly noticeable. However, in others there is a noticeable rash which appears after a few days. The rose-red rash makes the cheeks appear bright red, hence the name ‘slapped cheek syndrome’. The rash may spread to the rest of the body but unlike many other rashes, it only rarely involves the palms and soles.

The child begins to feel better as the rash appears and the rash usually peaks after a week and then fades. The rash is unusual in that for some months afterwards, a warm bath, sunlight, heat or fever will trigger a recurrence of the bright red cheeks and the rash itself..
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It is spread by the respiratory route and a person is infectious 3 to 5 days before the appearance of the rash. Children are no longer infectious once the rash appears and there is no specific treatment.

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Other presentations include:
asymptomatic
pancytopaenia in immunosuppressed patients
aplastic crises e.g. in sickle-cell disease (parvovirus B19 suppresses erythropoiesis for about a week so aplastic anaemia is rare unless there is a chronic haemolytic anaemia)