A warning has been issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regarding a spike in cases of parvovirus B19.
The illness, which is also referred to as Fifth Disease, or 'slapped cheek' illness due to its ability to give the sufferer red cheeks, has been described as particularly dangerous to pregnant women, but also largely affects children.
The CDC investigated people with IgM antibodies, which suggest that a person has been recently infected.
It found that children aged between five and nine years old had a huge increase in cases, jumping from 15 percent during 2022–2024 to 40 percent in June this year.
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The existence of the antibodies of sufferers of all ages increased from three percent during 2022–2024 to 10 percent in June 2024.
The CDC have warned that parvovirus B19 is 'highly transmissible in respiratory droplets'.
What are the symptoms of parvovirus B19?
Around a week after being exposed to the virus, sufferers may start to experience symptoms such as a fever and a feeling of malaise.
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Further symptoms after another week include the face rash and body pain.
Who is most at risk of parvovirus B19?
The CDC has stressed that pregnant women who contract the virus are at risk of 'adverse foetal outcome' which may include foetal anaemia, non-immune hydrops or potentially foetal loss.
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Women who are between nine and 20 weeks pregnant face the highest risk.
Abby Parks, who was 18 weeks pregnant when she contracted parvovirus, has opened up to NBC about her experience which led to foetal aneamia.
She said: "I got progressively sicker. I was in bed with a fever for four or five full days.”
Ultimately, blood tests revealed parvovirus that had also affected her child.
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The baby was given a blood transfusion in utero.
Abby added: “I do think it was lifesaving for the foetus. Because if that anaemia had persisted, with that low blood count, the baby could have died."
Kathy Bligard, who was Abby's doctor, said: "Abby is not the only patient whose feotus has needed a blood transfusion in the last few months for parvovirus. It’s certainly something that I used to see maybe once every other year and have seen multiple times in the last few months.”
Abby, who works as a school nurse, noted that she had noticed a number of children with 'really rosy, red cheeks'.
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The CDC has advised that many adults have already been infected as children, and are protected.
Despite this, pregnant people and people with sickle cell disease who have never been exposed to parvovirus are at risk of serious illness.
Kya Buller