Parvovirusesarecubicsingle-strandedDNAvirusesofabout18-32nmlackinganenvelope.ParvovirusB19infectsonlyhumans,andsincetherearenocrossreactivitiesbetweenanimalparvovirusesandB19,transmissionbetweenpetsandhumansisnotpossIBLe.ParvovirusB19isthecausativeagentofErythemainfectiosum,theso-called“fifthdisease”,amildrashillnessthatoccursmostcommonlyinchildren.Infectedpersonsarecontagiousduringtheearlypartoftheillnessbeforetherashappearssoinadultstherateofepidemiaamountstoabout60%.About20%ofadultsandchildrenwhoareinfectedwithparvovirusB19donotdevelopanysymptoms.Personsinfectedwiththevirus,however,dodeveloplastingimmunitythatprotectsthemagainstinfectioninthefuture.
ParvovirusB19infectionmaycauseaseriousillnessinpersonswithsickle-celldiseaseorsimilartypesofchronicanemiaaswellasinpersonswhohaveproblemswiththeirimmunesystem(peoplewithleukemiaorcancer,whoarebornwithimmunedeficiencies,whohavereceivedanorgantransplant,orwhohaveHIVinfection).Occasionally(lessthan5%ofallpregnantwomeninfectedwith
parvovirusB19)seriouscomplicationsmaydevelopduringpregnancy:riskofMorbushaemolyticusfetalis.

Thepresenceofvirusresp.infectionmaybeidentifiedby:
SEROlogy:DetectionofantibodiesbyELISA