Parvovirus B19 and the New Century

Abstract

Since the discovery of parvovirus B19 by Ivonne Cossart 25 years ago, the knowledge of infection due to this virus has evolved from self-limiting erythema infectiosum in immunocompetent children to lethal cytopenia in immunocompromised patients. Now, it is possible to prevent these life-threatening parvovirus B19-mediated diseases [2, 3]. In this issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Lindblom et al. [1] comment on how parvovirus B19 infection causes severe cytopenia and can mimic a leukemic relapse or therapy-induced pancytopenia in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, causing significantly longer periods without chemotherapy and a higher number of blood transfusions in parvovirus B19 DNA-positive children, compared with parvovirus B19 DNA-negative patients (n = 99). In their cohort of 99 patients, 18 were parvovirus B19 DNA positive at the time of diagnosis or during therapy, and only 1 child was infected after chemotherapy. The number of days of unwanted treatment interruption was significantly higher for parvovirus B19-positive