“Parvoviruses are a family of small DNA viruses discovered in 1960 that mainly infect animals, such as cats and dogs, causing severe disease, while one of them, ‘human parvovirus B19’, first reported in 1974, can infect humans, causing a variety of clinical syndromes of varying severity.

They get their name from the Latin word parvum meaning very small, because of the very small size of the viral particles,” says Mr. Charalambos Gogos Pathologist-Infectious Disease Director of the Pathological-Infectious Disease Clinic Metropolitan General, who then explains everything we would like to know about parvovirus B19:

How is it transmitted?

“The virus,” he adds, “is transmitted mainly through droplets emitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes, but also through direct contact with contaminated objects, and the incubation period lasts about 7-14 days after exposure and transmission stops after the appearance of the rash.”

What are the symptoms?

“The parvovirus B19 infection can manifest itself with various clinical syndromes, depending on the patient’s age, health status and underlying diseases.

In children, the virus can cause the characteristic “fifth disease” or “slapped cheek rash”, a mild febrile illness characterized by intense flushing of the cheeks and a rash on the trunk and extremities, and may be accompanied by malaise, rhinitis, headaches and diarrhoea. The disease has a benign course and usually resolves within a few weeks.

Other problems caused by this virus are:

• Arthralgias or arthritis
• Myocarditis
• Attack of the central and peripheral nervous system.

While most people make a full recovery without serious complications, parvovirus B19 can cause problems for people with underlying illnesses. For example, in people with anemia or hematologic or immune system problems, infection can lead to severe hematologic disorders, such as aplastic crisis, with a significant reduction in red blood cells due to bone marrow suppression.
Also, in pregnant women, parvovirus B19 infection can lead to fetal involvement with manifestations such as miscarriages, intrauterine death, and non-immune-type hydrops fetalis, a condition where fluid accumulates in various fetal tissues and can turns out to be fatal”, emphasizes Mr. Gogos.

What is the role of the immune system?

“The immune system plays an important role in the outcome of parvovirus B19 infection. In most healthy people, the immune system manages to fight the virus without problems. However, in people with a weakened immune system, such as those who have blood diseases, are undergoing chemotherapy or are taking immunosuppressive drugs, the infection can have a more severe and more chronic course,” he explains.

Diagnosis and Treatment

“The diagnosis of parvovirus B19 infection is usually made based on the patient’s clinical picture through serological tests that detect the presence of B19 – specific IgG and mainly IgM antibodies against the virus in the patient’s blood, which are detected by the appearance of symptoms . There are also very specific and sensitive molecular methods of diagnosis using quantitative PCR.

As for its treatment, in most cases no specific treatment is required, and the symptoms go away on their own within one to two weeks.

However, in cases of serious complications, such as aplastic crisis or complications in pregnancy, treatment must be supportive and include blood transfusions, intravenous immunoglobulin and care for symptom management,” the expert points out.

Precautionary measures

“Prevention of parvovirus B19 infection mainly involves proper hygiene, such as frequent hand washing and wearing a mask / avoiding close contact with infected people. Also, it is important to isolate the patient and avoid sharing objects that may be contaminated, such as glasses and cutlery”, concludes Mr. Gogos.