Erythema infectiosum

Duration of infection

Standard infection:

• Typically self-limiting symptoms, resolving by approximately 2 to 3 weeks

• Complications may occur in certain patient populations (e.g., pregnant women and people with increased red blood cell turnover/destruction).

Persistent infection:

• May occur in people with immunosuppression (e.g., patients with HIV, people receiving chemotherapy or immunosuppression following transplant, or patients with congenital immunodeficiencies)

• May not present with classic erythema infectiosum, but with a chronic anemia

• Antibodies to virus are usually absent with often high viral levels in the circulation

• Symptoms last longer than the standard duration of infection, for example, at least 3 to 4 weeks.