Hi- I'm a teacher and when I was teaching in Bristol, there was a terrible outbreak of it in the school where I was teaching - it's also called 5th disease linked to Measles ,Mumps, rubella and chicken pox I think (although I'm not an expert!). I was in the early stages of my pregnancy with evie (my eldest ) at the time, and had to take time off work incase I had never contracted it. Most of us have had it (apparently) in childhood, but people put it down to teething or a slight "offish-ness" Poor you.

Hi Lorraine, My daughter had slapped cheek disease too - she was definitely off-colour and she had a fever with it too I seem to remember. Her childminder's daughter had it so that's where it came from I think. It didn't last very long thankfully although she was quite under the weather with it for a couple of days. These viruses are strange, before Xmas my son and daugther both had hand, foot and mouth disease which was really nasty and lasted at least a week to ten days with both of them - one after the other! There was only one other person in the whole of Sasha's nursery who had it and yet it is very contagious - luckily they didn't seem to pass it on to anyone else. Seems like it is just bad luck on your part that they have all got slapped cheek. I find the worst thing is that you are in quarantine and can't take them anywhere except outside! They should all be over it quickly though. Good luck