Symptoms typically begin with low fever, mild malaise and red cheeks that often look as if they have been slapped. Later, a usually non-itchy rash appears on the arms, legs and trunk, consisting of blotchy red areas and lacey patterns. Diagnosis is based on these symptoms and confirmed by blood tests for parvovirus antibodies. After the symptoms have subsided, the rash may temporarily reappear in response to sunlight, exercise, heat, fever or emotional stress. The recurrence you see in your son may be due to this response, or he may be becoming re-infected at home or school.
Treatment is directed to relieving symptoms.
Drinking larger amounts of liquids and taking anti-oxidants such as vitamin C helps some people with viral infections. His seizures are probably related to the fever he gets with infections, but this also needs to be checked out thoroughly. After tracking hundreds of women for more than 10 years, researchers reported finding, at a recent meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, that regular aspirin use was associated with a major reduction in ovarian cancer. Women who had taken aspirin three or more times per week had a 40 percent reduction in epithelial ovarian cancer. This type of cancer is usually detected so late in development that therapy has little benefit.