CDC issues health advisory over spread of human parvovirus B19

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health alert earlier this month about the rising number of cases of human parvovirus B19.

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“Parvovirus B19 is a seasonal respiratory virus transmitted through respiratory droplets by people with symptomatic or asymptomatic infection,” the CDC said.

There were a high number of cases in Europe in the first quarter of the year. While there is no routine surveillance in the U.S. there have been reports that parvovirus is being spread after the virus was found in clinical specimens and pooled plasma which came from a large commercial laboratory.

The CDC said there have been clusters of parvovirus B19-associated complications among pregnant women and people who have sickle cell disease.

The number of antibodies found indicated that there has been an increase in infections, from less than 3% in 2022 to 2024 to 10% in June.

The rate was 15% from 2022 to 2024 but raised to 40% in June in children.

Plasma donors had 1.5% samples with parvovirus B19 DNA present in December 2023 but that increased to 19.9% in June.

The illness that comes with a parvovirus B19 infection is typically mild.

Most people infected with parvovirus B19 are asymptomatic, but symptoms can include fever, muscle pain, cough, headache and malaise, which develop within about seven days. The symptoms usually last about five days and is the period when someone is most contagious. In the second phase, children may develop a facial rash that looks like a “slapped cheek,” a rash on the trunk of their body and joint pain the CDC said.

For people who are immunocompromised, have chronic blood disorders or are pregnant, there could be more severe symptoms.

Immunocompromised people may develop chronic or transient aplastic anemia, which can be treated with transfusions.

For pregnant women, the danger increases for the baby depending on how far along the pregnancy is. If the acute infection happens between weeks 9 and 20 of the pregnancy, it can present a higher risk for the baby including fetal anemia, non-immune hydrops or losing the baby, but miscarrying is rare, the CDC said.

There is no vaccine or specific treatment for parvovirus B19 infection, the CDC said.