[Outbreak of Infectious Erythema at a Urban Health Center]

Objectives: To analyse the clinical and serological characteristics of an outbreak of infectious erythema in patients attending the two paediatrics clinics at the Soria Norte Health Centre.

Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive study.

Setting: Paediatrics clinics of the Soria Norte Health Centre.

Patients: Once the outbreak was suspected, the study was conducted on children with a clinical picture suggesting infectious erythema who attended successively two Soria Norte paediatrics clinics between April and August 1998 and who consented to the analyses.

Interventions: The clinical symptoms, serology, haemogram and evolution of 25 patients were recorded.

Results: 25 patients of the total were studied and diagnostic suspicion was confirmed in 84% of the cases. There were no differences between sexes, with an average age of 6.1, SD 2.015. The most constant clinical sign was exanthem on the cheeks, present in 100% of the cases confirmed, followed by 57% exanthem on the trunk and limbs, 9.5% adenopathies and 4.7% temperature. No complications were found in any case.

Conclusions: The results of this study confirm the existence of an outbreak of infectious erythema in our area. Serological confirmation of an outbreak is useful and can lay the basis for a proper therapeutic and preventive focus (against possible complications). We highlight the generally benign nature of the disease.