The world has not yet completely forgotten the pain of the novel coronavirus, and every day news related to infections like Chandipura virus, monkeypox keep creating panic in the hearts of people. Let us tell you, amidst these news, cases of parvovirus B19 are increasing rapidly in America these days. The matter of concern is that in America, symptoms of this virus have been found in 35 percent of children between 5 and 9 years. Due to which people are falling prey to slapped cheek disease. Let us know what is this slapped cheek virus, in which the cheeks of the victim become red like tomatoes.
What is parvovirus B19?
Parvovirus B19 is a common flu-like virus that mostly affects children. However, this problem can happen to anyone. A person suffering from this problem develops a red rash on the face and also has a mild fever. This virus is very common in people up to the age of 40 in the US. According to the National Library of Medicine, a mini-outbreak of parvovirus B19 occurs approximately every three to four years.
Why is parvovirus B19 called the ‘fifth disease’?
Parvovirus B19 is also known as the ‘Fifth Disease’. This is because this virus affects children the most. Let us tell you, this virus spreads from one person to another due to infection. The problem of slapped cheek syndrome is also known as the Fifth Disease because it is the 5th viral rash-related disease that affects children.
Causes of Slapped Cheek Virus-
The slapped cheek virus causes parvovirus B19 to infect people and make them sick. The virus spreads through the air through the infected person’s saliva and droplets released from the nose while coughing or sneezing and infects other people. Apart from this, the virus can also infect a pregnant woman to her unborn child.
These are the symptoms of slapped cheek virus-
-Red rash on cheeks
-Joint pain
-Mild fever and fatigue
-Pain in facial muscles
-Feeling headache, pain in legs and muscle pain.
How to prevent slapped cheek virus-
-Keep your surroundings clean.
-Eat food only after washing hands thoroughly.
-Maintain proper distance from the infected person.
-Avoid going to infected places.
Who is most at risk?
Some people are especially advised to avoid the parvovirus B19 virus. These include pregnant women, people with weakened immunity, and people with blood cell disorders.