Be aware of, but don't worry about, a virus affecting children in the Isle of Man at the moment.

That's the advice from director of public health Dr Parameswaran Kishore, who says even though Slapped cheek syndrome is pretty infectious, it's not serious in the vast majority of cases.

It mostly affects five to 14 year-olds, the symptoms being a rash, most noticeably on the face, and a mild fever.

The fever can be treated with Paracetamol or Ibuprofen, but Dr Kishore says there's no point keeping youngsters away from school, as they are no longer infectious once the symptoms become apparent.

He says the infection can be more serious for people who have problems with their immune system, anyone suffering from haemoglobinopathies or women in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy (play attached audio file):

The number to ring for advice on Slapped cheek syndrome is 642688.