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Parvovirus B19 Infection

Christina Conrad, D.O. and Priya Prasher, MBBS Reviewed 04/2024
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Human parvovirus B19 is the cause of erythema infectiosum (fifth disease, morbus quintus).

  • Individuals with increased RBC turnover (sickle-cell anemia, spherocytosis, thalassemia) are...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • May have a prodrome of fever, coryza, pharyngitis, headache, rhinorrhea, nausea

  • Rash and arthralgias develop after these symptoms

  • Arthralgias may last for weeks or longer.

PHYSICAL EXAM

  • T...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

  • No therapy is usually needed.

  • Cessation of immunosuppressive therapy allows some patients to clear chronic infections.

  • B19-associated anemia in HIV-positive patients may resolv...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Patient Monitoring

Periodic blood counts for anemic patients until they have reticulocyte recovery 

PATIENT EDUCATION

REFERENCES

1
Ornoy A, Ergaz Z. Parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy and risks to the fetus. Birth Defects Res.2017;109(5):311-323.
2
Leung AKC, Lam JM, Barankin B, et al. Erythema infectiosum: a nar...

ADDITIONAL READING

Moosazadeh M, Alimohammadi M, Mousavi T. Seroprevalence and geographical distribution of parvovirus B19 antibodies in pregnant women: a-meta analysis. J Immunoa...

CODES

ICD10

  • B34.3 Parvovirus infection, unspecified

  • B08.3 Erythema infectiosum [fifth disease]

SNOMED

  • 186748004 Parvovirus infection

  • 34730008 erythema infectiosum (disorder)

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Parvovirus B19 infection is usually a benign, self-limited illness with no long-term effects.

  • Patients are no longer infectious by the time the “slapped cheek” rash of erythema infectio...

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