Taipei Times
Date: Apr 17, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

While rosy cheeks can be a sign of health in young children, that was certainly not the case

A boy’s face shows blotches caused by parvovirus B19 infection in Taipei yesterday. Photo provided by Pan Chun-shen

for a six-year-old boy whose pink cheeks were recently identified as the symptom of a virus.

According to Reshining Clinic deputy superintendent Pan Chun-shen (潘俊伸), the boy’s parents thought the red blotches on his cheeks were caused by warm weather, until they started spreading to his torso and limbs a few days later.

“The rashes were slightly itchy and were accompanied by fever and a runny nose, which led the clinic to diagnose the boy with parvovirus B19 infection, a common illness in children that is sometimes referred to as slapped-cheek syndrome or the fifth disease,” Pan said.     [FULL  STORY]