Viral arthritis is inflammation of the joints that results from a viral infection.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors: Arthritis may be a symptom of many virus-related illnesses. It usually disappears on its own without any lasting effects.
It may be associated with mumps , rubella , human parvovirus, and Hepatitis B .
It may also occur after immunization with rubella vaccine. This is a common form of childhood joint discomfort.
Treatment: Your doctor may prescribe pain medicines to relieve discomfort.
If joint inflammation is severe, aspiration of fluid from the affected joint may relieve pain.
Expectations (prognosis): The outcome is usually good. Most viral arthritis disappears within several days to weeks when the underlying virus-related disease goes away.
Complications: There are usually no complications.
Calling your health care provider: Call for an appointment with your health care provider if arthritis symptoms persist continuously for longer than a few weeks.
Prevention: There is no known way to prevent viral arthritis.