Fifths Disease And Adult Symptoms
Published on Apr 13 2010, in the categories: Fifths Disease
The fifth disease is a little contagious disease. The fifth’s disease infectious agent is a virus called parvovirus B 19, which can be easily transmitted through direct contact with mucus or saliva of infected person, issued by sneezing and coughing, the virus enters the body through the mucous membranes of the new upper airways.
The contagiousness of the disease between one week before the onset of fifth’s disease and adult symptoms until the onset of the exanthema, the appearance of the exanthema on the subject is no longer contagious. The patients can have an incubation period of 1-2 weeks, but, exceptionally, the fifth’s disease and adult symptoms may appear 3 weeks after infection. Rarely there can appear warning signs, except a possible slight increase in fever.
The disease is manifested by the appearance of a typical rash (fifth disease rash) that occurs initially in the face and in particular the cheeks, which are very red and hot to the touch. The forehead, chin and the outline of mouth instead have a rather marked pallor. But later small red spots found slightly to the touch, mainly localized to the trunk, buttocks and upper and lower limbs.
With every passing day the rash becomes paler and takes a look at lace, without giving rise to scaling.
The duration of the disease an average of ten days, but in some cases can last for several weeks. In the following months is not uncommon for the rash reappear briefly in association with intense exertion or emotional stress or even during very hot baths or sun exposure.
There are common complications of the "fifth disease", except in cases of joint pain or, rarely, true arthritis when the disease is contracted by adults. However, this is a mild disease for which there is no vaccine and even therapy, unless otherwise doctor's opinion may confine the application of talc menthol to relieve itching due to the fifth disease.
The disease is also called erythema infectiosum or megaloeritema and it is a common childhood exanthem caused by parvovirus B19 (PV-B19), the smallest DNA viruses pathogenic to humans. Typically it is a disease of children (3-15 years), but can also occur in adulthood.
More frequent in late winter-early spring tends to be epidemic cycles every 4-7 years. In the classic children resolve spontaneously while in adults, immunocompromised persons, in patients with anemia in pregnant women or the course can be severe. After incubation period of 4-14 days can appear flu-like symptoms including headache, rhinitis, low-grade fever (below 38 ° C), pharyngitis, malaise persisting for 2-3 days but are so low that often go unnoticed.
This phase coincides with viremia that lasts a week: this is the period of infectivity, the virus being removed in large quantities through the respiratory route to put aerosolized droplets (droplets Flugge). After the phase viremia, the disease occurs predominantly in its clinical skin and joints.
The contagiousness of the disease between one week before the onset of fifth’s disease and adult symptoms until the onset of the exanthema, the appearance of the exanthema on the subject is no longer contagious. The patients can have an incubation period of 1-2 weeks, but, exceptionally, the fifth’s disease and adult symptoms may appear 3 weeks after infection. Rarely there can appear warning signs, except a possible slight increase in fever.
The disease is manifested by the appearance of a typical rash (fifth disease rash) that occurs initially in the face and in particular the cheeks, which are very red and hot to the touch. The forehead, chin and the outline of mouth instead have a rather marked pallor. But later small red spots found slightly to the touch, mainly localized to the trunk, buttocks and upper and lower limbs.
With every passing day the rash becomes paler and takes a look at lace, without giving rise to scaling.
The duration of the disease an average of ten days, but in some cases can last for several weeks. In the following months is not uncommon for the rash reappear briefly in association with intense exertion or emotional stress or even during very hot baths or sun exposure.
There are common complications of the "fifth disease", except in cases of joint pain or, rarely, true arthritis when the disease is contracted by adults. However, this is a mild disease for which there is no vaccine and even therapy, unless otherwise doctor's opinion may confine the application of talc menthol to relieve itching due to the fifth disease.
The disease is also called erythema infectiosum or megaloeritema and it is a common childhood exanthem caused by parvovirus B19 (PV-B19), the smallest DNA viruses pathogenic to humans. Typically it is a disease of children (3-15 years), but can also occur in adulthood.
More frequent in late winter-early spring tends to be epidemic cycles every 4-7 years. In the classic children resolve spontaneously while in adults, immunocompromised persons, in patients with anemia in pregnant women or the course can be severe. After incubation period of 4-14 days can appear flu-like symptoms including headache, rhinitis, low-grade fever (below 38 ° C), pharyngitis, malaise persisting for 2-3 days but are so low that often go unnoticed.
This phase coincides with viremia that lasts a week: this is the period of infectivity, the virus being removed in large quantities through the respiratory route to put aerosolized droplets (droplets Flugge). After the phase viremia, the disease occurs predominantly in its clinical skin and joints.
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