Parvovirus is circulating in California. Experts say it could be COVID-related.

"According to recent wastewater surveillance data, parvovirus B19, a " very contagious" respiratory illness that can cause a distinct rosy rash in children and lead to severe complications in pregnant people, is swirling throughout the South Bay and several Northern California cities. Parvovirus type 2 infects dogs, but parvovirus B19 is transmitted from human to human."

"The virus, which typically causes mild symptoms like muscle aches, fever and runny nose, has a moderate presence in Davis, Sacramento, San Jose, Napa, Palo Alto, Redwood City and the southeast neighborhoods of San Francisco, WastewaterSCAN data shows. Children between the ages of 5 and 15 who contract the virus are also more likely to develop a rosy, "slapped cheek" rash over a week after infection, also known as fifth disease. Overall, though, symptoms are usually mild, and sometimes people display no symptoms at all."

"Usually spread through coughing and sneezing, "Parvovirus B19 is highly transmissible in respiratory droplets, with 50% of susceptible people infected after household exposure and 20-50% of susceptible students and staff infected during school outbreaks," an August 2024 notice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, adding that people who work with children face higher risks of contracting the illness."

"According to a 2026 study from child healthcare experts, the virus is seasonal and peaks in spring, late winter and early summer, and it usually resolves on its own. Though parvovirus isn't routinely monitored in the U.S., the CDC reported higher rates of the virus in 2024 and 2025 compared with earlier yea"

Wastewater surveillance indicates parvovirus B19 is circulating in the South Bay and several Northern California cities. The virus typically causes mild symptoms such as muscle aches, fever, and runny nose, and some people have no symptoms. In children aged 5 to 15, infection can lead to fifth disease, marked by a rosy “slapped cheek” rash appearing about a week after infection. Transmission occurs from person to person through coughing and sneezing, and the virus is highly transmissible in respiratory droplets. Pregnant people face higher risks of severe complications, including miscarriage. The illness is seasonal, peaking in spring, late winter, and early summer, and usually resolves on its own.

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