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Article: Beyond measles and chickenpox: other childhood diseases cause rashes. (fifth disease, roseola infantum, scarlet fever, impetigo)
- Article from:
- Pediatrics for Parents
- Article date:
- March 1, 1993
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 Pediatrics for Parents, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Measles and chickenpox are pretty much household words. Other contagious rash-causing diseases of childhood, fifth disease, roseola, scarlet fever, and impetigo, may not have the same amount of name recognition, but lack of fame doesn't mean that they don't cause problems!
Fifth Disease (Erythema Infectiosum)
"I used to ask my students, 'Who was Dr. Fifth?'" says Paul F. Wehrle, M.D., professor emeritus in pediatrics at the University of Southern California. "They used to come up with some really interesting answers."
The real answer, however, is that there was no Dr. Fifth. The common name for erythema infectiosum came from its fifth ...