Should New England Parents Be Concerned About Fifth Disease?

The recent pandemic has made us pay much closer attention to outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Before 2020, we were always hearing about an outbreak of this disease or that virus, but we never really payed much attention to the news. SARS, the recent Ebola outbreaks, and Swine Flu were big deals elsewhere, but we never saw a large number of cases in New England.

Probably the closest we came to Ebola was when that nurse spent time recovering from the virus in Aroostook County, Maine.

The pandemic changed all of that.

Now, we all pay much closer attention to infectious diseases, even if there are no cases in our area.

Recently, one of our sister stations posted about a new disease circulating within New Jersey schools. I had never heard of this particular illness, so I decided to do some research.

What is Fifth Disease?

According to the Maine.gov website, Fifth Disease, also known as Slapped Cheek Disease, is caused by parvovirus B19.

In addition to causing flu-like symptoms, the virus causes a red rash that makes it look like the infected person has been slapped. These rashes are particularly obvious when they appear on the person's cheeks.

Like many viruses, it is spread through respiratory secretions like snot and saliva. It can also be spread through blood. Pregnant mothers who have it can pass it on to their children.

While adults can get it, the virus is most common in children.

As is often the case with other ‘childhood’ viruses, Fifth Disease can often be more serious in adults. Maine.gov says, in part:

People with fifth disease can also develop pain and swelling in their joints, called polyarthropathy syndrome. This is more common in adults, especially women. The joint pain usually lasts one to three weeks, but can last months or even longer.

It is important to remember that once the rash appears, the person is probably no longer able to spread the virus.

This video provides additional details:

While there have been no reported outbreaks of Fifth Disease in New England, this should be another reminder of why it is important to stay home when you are ill.