Fifth Disease is a childhood illness resulting from the infection by erythrovirus previously called parvovirus B19. It is also referred to as erythema infectiosum, slapped cheek syndrome, slapcheek, slap face, or slapped face. It is called ringo-byou (literally: apple sickness) in Japan on account of the facial redness associated with the disease. The
ordinal adjective in the "fifth disease" name refers to the disease's place as the fifth in a list of common childhood illnesses characterized by a rash.
The main symptom of the fifth disease infection is a bright red cheek that may occasionally cover the bridge of the nose and facial parts around the mouth. Those affected also develop red lacy rashes in other parts of the body mostly on the skin of the upper arms and legs. Such rashes are typically itchy and may last two days or more with few cases that extend for several weeks. Though rashes manifest the infection, their appearance usually indicate that a patient is no longer infectious.