Fifth Disease in Adults
About 50 percent of adults have already had fifth disease as children or adolescents, and therefore are immune to the parvovirus. If an adult is not immune, he or she can become infected with fifth disease.
Other names for fifth disease include:
Erythema infectiosum
Slapped cheek syndrome
Slapped cheek disease
Sticker’s disease.
The disease is considered the fifth of a group of formerly common childhood diseases. While more common in children, Fifth’s disease can present in adults. Understanding the condition will prompt individuals to seek diagnosis and treatment, which will help to prevent complications, especially among women who are pregnant. In those very rare cases, according to the March of Dimes, anemia caused by interruption or disruption of red blood cell production may be acquired by the fetus, and if not addressed, lead to a possible miscarriage.
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