Why is Human Parvo Called Fifth Disease?

With so much discussion of the Coronavirus family, many have questions about the Parvovirus. This virus was not discovered until the 1960s, and is still being researched.

While there are two common forms of Parvo in canines, there is only one common form in humans. These viruses are not zoonotic. In other words, you can't catch Parvo from your dog, nor can he catch it from you.

Parvovirus B-19, the human form, is so named not due to the year it was first discovered, but identified from a label on a patient's blood sample. While many don't use the name Parvo for the human virus, most have heard of Fifth Disease.

According to the CDC, over 50% of adults in the U.S. test positive for Fifth Disease antibodies, so named due to a numerical listing in an old medical text published before the exact virus was discovered. One in five is not ever aware of the Parvo infection, and most suffer only mild respiratory symptoms as well as a face rash at worst.

So while not that serious in humans, Parvo can be devastating to dogs, especially puppies. Have them vaccinated!

Nurse Nan