It is moderately contagious and usually does not include a high fever, as seen with some other viral skin conditions. Fifth disease is caused the human parvovirus. It is most prevalent in the winter and spring and is usually seen in children 5 to 14 years of age. Outbreaks of the disease frequently occur in school settings. It may take between four to 14 days for the child to develop symptoms of fifth disease after being exposed to the disease.
Children are most contagious before the rash occurs.
Therefore, children may be contagious before they even know they have the disease. Also, about 20 percent of people with the virus do not have symptoms but can still spread the disease. The following are the most common symptoms of fifth disease. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. This may continue for several days.