Beware of Lyme and Fifth's Disease!

We were left holding two puzzle pieces: my "sky high" ANA usually indicative of Lupus and my red lacy rash. Each time I googled “red lacy rash,” Fifth disease appeared. Finally, I googled Lyme disease and Fifth disease and made a startling discovery. A pediatric rheumatologist had published an article in the Journal of Rheumatology, warning physicians to take care diagnosing patients that had both Lyme disease and Fifth’s disease, a common childhood illness characterized by a slapped face appearance and a red lacy rash, because their blood work misleadingly presented as systemic Lupus. My red lacy rash? My flushed cheeks? My lupus-like ANA?! Could the human parvo virus and Lyme bacteria be teaming together to make my bloodwork appear as though I had Lupus?

Though Fifth disease is commonly a childhood illness, it can also be a stealth virus, lurking especially when the immune system is compromised, causing chronic fatique and fibromyalgia symptoms, of which I was experiencing both. If I had Lyme and Fifth's disease, there was a plausible scientific explanation for my elevated ANA in contrast to the Lupus diagnosis. I said, "I bet I have human parvo virus."

Just weeks later, human parvo was confirmed with levels being very high. Also, perhaps more amazingly, after two rounds of antibiotics for the respiratory infection, my "sky high" ANA returned to normal. This made sense if my elevated ANA was dependent on HPV and Lyme. By knocking down one of the two necessary factors down, the ANA returned to normal. Such a reversal in ANA was virtually impossible in Lupus.

We were elated! We finally had answers to countless medical mysteries within our family. Our puzzle was complete, with every single piece falling in place. From a scientific aspect, our family's story was fascinating. Little did we know our battle had only just begun.