The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory this week for health care providers and the public following an increase in cases of human parvovirus B19.
Here’s what you need to know about the virus, how it’s spread and treated, and who’s at high risk.
What is parvovirus B19?
Parvovirus B19, also known as “fifth disease”, is a seasonally contagious respiratory virus, spread through respiratory droplets, i.e. coughing and sneezing, from persons with symptomatic or asymptomatic infection.
A blood test can check for antibodies to parvovirus B19, indicating current or past infection, susceptibility or immunity.
How is parvovirus B19 spread?
The virus is highly transmissible. According to the CDC, 50% of people are infected after household exposure, while 20% to 50% of students and staff are infected during school outbreaks.
Antibodies from previous infections are thought to prevent and protect against future infections. According to the CDC, by age 20, 50% of adults have these antibodies, and by age 40, this percentage increases to 70%.
Parvovirus B19 infection can also be transmitted during pregnancy from mother to fetus and through blood and plasma transfusions, although transfusion-associated parvovirus B19 infection is extremely rare.
What are the symptoms of parvovirus B19?
Symptoms of parvovirus B19 are usually mild and may include:
- fever
- Headache
- cough
- Sore throat
- rashes
- Joint pain
Many people who get parvovirus B19 have no symptoms.
Those who experience symptoms see them present in two stages. The first stage develops about a week after infection and is characterized by fever, muscle aches, sore throat and fatigue. During this phase, which lasts approximately five days, people are most contagious as viral loads (a measure of infectivity) in sputum and respiratory secretions peak.
During the second phase, approximately seven to ten days after the first phase, children with parvovirus B19 often develop a noticeable facial rash, sometimes followed by joint pain and/or a mottled rash on the body. In healthy adults, the most common symptoms appear during the second stage, including joint pain and a rash on the torso.
Typically, when a rash on the face or body is present, the person is no longer contagious.
How is parvovirus B19 treated?
There is no vaccine or specific treatment for parvovirus B19 infection.
Most people who get parvovirus B19 do not require medical treatment and will make a full recovery. Serious outcomes from parvovirus B19 disease, such as myocarditis, hepatitis, or encephalitis, are rare.
Most cases of fetal parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy resolve without adverse outcomes. However, there is a 5% to 10% risk of fetal anemia or miscarriage when the infection occurs in the mother between 9 and 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Treatment for infection in the pregnant woman includes monitoring and treating severe fetal anemia.
What to do if you think you have parvovirus b19
In healthy individuals, parvovirus B19 usually resolves on its own without medical help. However, the CDC urges people to seek medical attention if they are pregnant and experiencing symptoms or have been exposed to a person with suspected or confirmed parvovirus B19.
People with compromised immune systems, including those with chronic hemolytic blood disorders such as sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and hereditary spherocytosis, are also urged to seek medical attention if signs and symptoms of parvovirus B19 develop.
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