Pregnant Women, People with HIV and Cancer BEWARE:

My wonderfully sweet child, Austyn has contracted HUMAN PARVO-VIRUS B19: FIFTHS DISEASE. I know some of you are probably thinking, "PARVO-VIRUS? HOW THE HELL DID YOUR KID GET THAT? DON'T DOGS GET THAT?!?" Well, first let me put your minds to ease that my children aren't sharing bowls with the dog. haha. Secondly, feline, canine and human parvo-viruses are non transferable. Meaning, if Roscoe has parvo, none of us can get it. If we have parvo (which by the way is common) he (the dog) can't get it. So now that you know my kid(s) aren't swapping spit with any ones dog, I'll explain the disease a little to you.
Actually many of you have probably heard of "Fifths Disease." I first learned of this disease while I was pregnant with Taylor. I wanted to learn as much as I could about things to avoid and things to not do during pregnancy. Fifths Disease/Parvo, whatever you want to call it can be very harmful to pregnant women, people with HIV and people with cancer. Fifths Disease is most commonly spotted by the "slapped appearance" on one's cheek. The rash usually accompanies this slapped look. The rash is described as a 'lacy pattern' on the skin. The rash isn't typically itchy, and can be widespread to the trunk and limbs. You are most contagious before the rash even appears. Once the rash appears you are said to not be contagious anymore, however our pediatrician advised us that he would still be considered contagious for the next two weeks! Children presenting the rash are not prohibited from attending school since they have most likely already spread the disease since it is most contagious before the rash appears. There is no treatment for the disease because it is a virus. DUH. Austyn will stop taking his Claritin since it isn't doing anything for him except drugging him up. We were prescribed Motrin in case he develops a fever. The very first symptoms of the disease are very misleading. You think your kid just has a cough or a cold, and then here comes the rash. Cold symptoms are the first symptoms to appear. That isn't to say that you should be paranoid every time your child catches a cold, but in case they start getting a rash, at least now you will know what they have. Possibly, anyway.
There isn't anything you can do to prevent yourself or anyone else from getting this disease, except get it and become immune to it. Most adults are immune to it as we have most likely had it at one point in time or another. It is fairly common in young children. We were told that there was an outbreak of fifths disease at the CDC (daycare) on base. So, someone somewhere caught this disease, and has spread it around quite effectively. The rash will go away soon, hopefully, and he will be okay through it all. The rash however could resurface in 4 months time. Its not a guarantee that it will or won't, but a possibility. So, we'll be on the lookout for slapped cheeks!
I am so relieved that I know what is wrong with him, however, I still wish there was something I could do to help. I think as a mother I feel helpless and awful when there is literally nothing I can do to help the situation. Its just that natural mothering instinct in me, I guess.
So, yep that's that. Austyn has this 'disease,' and he didn't get it from sharing bowls or swapping spit with the dog, he just simply caught it from breathing the air outdoors.