Fourth Child in UK Killed by Slapped Cheek Virus

Tahlia Raven was the fourth child in the UK to reportedly die from the 'slapped cheek' virus since 2006.

"Tahlia was my beautiful blue-eyed angel, loved by everyone and will always be my beautiful girl forever," said her mother, Karen Glover, via Echo.

The three-year-old was taken by this common childhood illness, also known as erythema infectiosum or the fifth disease. It's listed as the fifth rash in a group of five red-rash diseases, including scarlet fever, measles, rubella and roseola. Just like other viruses, babies can become infected from another infected individual's cough or sneeze.

Typically the symptoms of slapped cheek disease appear within four to 14 days, and usually begin with a fever and other flu-like symptoms, including a sore throat, headache and fatigue, according to Baby Center. Next, a red rash on the baby's face may start to appear, as if he or she has been slapped. The rash is likely to spread elsewhere on the body throughout the course of infection.

This common childhood illness that affects six- to 10-year-olds is typically mild. It was just a day later that Grover learned of Tahlia's rare reaction to the illness when she died.

"She was healthy before this," Grover said, via The Daily Mail. "I have been told it is very common in preschools and nurseries and we don't know why it killed her."

The post-mortem examination revealed no evidence of serious conditions, including things like meningitis or pneumonia. According to Dr. Marion Malone, a specialist paediatric pathologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, the virus was identified in the heart and brain, resulting in swelling and other irregularities. Malone adds that though Tahlia appeared to have a minor heart defect, it was unclear whether this would have affected her ability to fight off the infection.