Serologic and molecular detection of human Parvovirus B19 infection

Following its identification by Yvonne Cossart in 1975, human Parvovirus B19 has been recognized as the causative agent of a wide range of diseases. In childhood, the most common disease is a typical exanthema called “fifth disease”. In adults, viral infection may be responsible for fetal loss and for aplastic anaemia in immuno-compromised patients. Because persistent viral infection may induce an autoimmune response, Parvovirus B19 is emerging as an environmental factor linked to the pathogenesis of autoimmunity. As a result of its expanding disease spectrum, Parvovirus B19 is the subject of intense efforts to clarify the pathogenesis of virus-related disorders as well as improve diagnostic laboratory testing including standardization of serological and nucleic acid-based detection assays. Enzymatic immunoassays based on conformational antigens have proven to be the most important tools for accurate diagnosis in the majority of cases. In other selected clinical cases, the detection of Parvovirus B19 infection can be complemented by PCR and, more recently, by the real-time PCR.