Single stranded DNA virus that causes erythema infectiosum (fifth disease).
A nonenveloped erythrovirus.
Causes transient aplastic crisis, hydrops fetalis, bone marrow suppression in immunocompromised hosts, purpuric vasculitis and both acute and chronic arthropathy in adults.
Commonly infects humans with about 50% of all adults showing infection during childhood or adolescence.
In healthy children and adults parvovirus B19 infection is relatively mild or even asymptomatic.
Its main symptoms in children is erythema infectiosum, a ruddy rash on the cheeks and is also known as fifth disease.
The prevalence of parvovirus B19 infection has been increasing.
No vaccine or antiviral therapy exists.
Not a reportable illness.
Often presents as seronegative arthritis in adults.
Up to 15% of newly diagnosed cases of arthritis are due to this virus (Corcoran A).
Animal parvovirus do not infect humans.
In utero an infected fetus may develop severe anemia that results in hydrops fetalis.
In children it may result in the exanthematous fifths disease.
Infection in adults may result in mild disease including fever, myalgias, arthralgias, rash, and occasionally red blood cell aplasia in individuals with ongoing hemolytic processes such as autoimmune or drug related anemias or sickle cell disease.
Among individuals that do get sick, they develop symptoms in two phases: the first phase begins about a week after infection and last approximately five days.
Symptoms are nonspecific and include fever, malaise and myalgia.
During his first phase Parvovirus B 19 is most contagious when viral loads are the highest, and people may be sneezing and coughing.
The second phase begins a week to 10 days after the first phase and is when children often develop the bright red rash on their face, but by then they are not contagious.
The rash and the cheeks may be followed in one to four days by a lacey rash elsewhere on the body or with associated joint pain.
Most patients with the infection need only treatment to relieve symptoms and have complete recovery.
Transmission by transfusion has been documented but morbidity is limited, even in immunocompromised patients.
The virus is spread primarily through respiratory droplets or from the mother to fetus during pregnancy.
Parvovirus B 19 can affect RBC bone marrow precursors and can lead to anemia special in people who have an immunocompromised status or chronic hemolytic disorders.
In pregnant individuals complications arise 5 to 10% of the time and include fetal anemia, non-immune hydrops, or fetal loss.
Infections during pregnancy are not associated with birth defects in infants.
Most pregnant people exposed to parvovirus B19 do not become infected and cannot pass it on to their fetus, because by age 40 more than 70% of adults have detectable parvovirus B19 antibodies from prior infection, protecting against re-infection.