Infectious erythema, also popularly known as slap disease or slap syndrome, is an infection of the airways and lungs, which is very common in children up to 15 years of age and causes red spots on the face, as if child had received a slap.
This infection is caused by the Parvovirus B19 virus and therefore can also be known scientifically as parvovirus. Although it can happen at any time, infectious erythema is more common in winter and early spring, especially due to its form of transmission, which occurs mainly through coughing and sneezing.
Infectious erythema is curable and treatment usually includes only rest at home and correct hydration with water. However, if there is a fever, it is important to consult a general practitioner or pediatrician, in the case of children, to start using medication to reduce body temperature, such as Paracetamol, for example.
Main symptoms
The first symptoms of infectious erythema are usually:
- Fever above 38ºC; Headache; Runny nose; General malaise.
Since these symptoms are nonspecific and appear in winter, they are often mistaken for the flu and, therefore, it is relatively common that at first the doctor does not give much importance.
However, after 7 to 10 days, the child with infectious erythema develops the characteristic red spot on the face, which ends up facilitating the diagnosis. This spot has a bright red or slightly pink hue and mainly affects the cheeks on the face, although it can also appear on the arms, chest, thighs or on the butt.
In adults, the appearance of red spots on the skin is more rare, but joint pain is common, especially in the hands, wrists, knees or ankles.
How to confirm the diagnosis
Most of the time, the doctor can make the diagnosis only by observing the signs of the disease and assessing the symptoms that the person or child can describe. However, as the first signs are not specific, it may be necessary to have a spot on the skin or joint pain to confirm the diagnosis of infectious erythema.
However, if there is a lot of suspicion of the infection, the doctor may also, in some cases, order a blood test to identify whether there are antibodies specific to the disease in the blood. If this result is positive, it indicates that the person is actually infected with erythema.
How the transmission happens
Infectious erythema is quite contagious, since the virus can be transmitted through saliva. Thus, it is possible to catch the disease if you are close to an infected person or child, especially when you cough, sneeze or release saliva when speaking, for example.
In addition, sharing utensils, such as cutlery or glasses, can also lead the person to develop the infectious erythema, since the simple contact with infected saliva also transmits the virus.
However, this transmission of the virus only happens in the first days of the disease, when the immune system has not yet managed to control the viral load. Thus, when the characteristic spot appears on the skin, the person is normally no longer transmitting the disease and can return to work or school, if they feel well.
How the treatment is done
In most cases, no specific treatment is necessary, as there is no anti-virus capable of eliminating Parvovirus and the immune system itself is able to eliminate it completely after a few days.
Thus, the ideal is that the person with the infection rests to avoid excessive tiredness and facilitate the functioning of the immune system, as well as maintaining adequate hydration, with fluid intake during the day.
However, as the infection can cause a lot of discomfort, especially in children, it is usually advisable to consult a general practitioner or pediatrician to start treatment with pain relievers, such as Paracetamol.
