Fifth Disease is a common childhood illness caused by a virus known as the Human Parvovirus B19. It is usually a mild infection causing a skin rash and a fever.
Most infected children have a short lived illness.
Fifth Disease is passed from person to person through contact with infected nose and throat secretions such as coughing, sneezing or sharing drinking glasses and utensils. The symptoms usually start to show in about 4 to 20 days after contact with the virus. Therefore, children should be excluded from school only until the fever is gone. Because Fifth Disease is caused by a virus, there is no cure for it. Washing hands frequently, covering your mouth when coughing and sneezing and avoid sharing eating utensils are all ways to control the spread of this infection.