The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new health alert, calling attention to unusually high testing positivity rates for the highly transmissible parvovirus B19 as well as clusters of complications among individuals at high risk, such as those with sickle cell disease and pregnant women. Fetal infection can lead to myocarditis and aplastic crisis, and some cases of fetal anemia have required blood transfusions, according to NBC News. Also referred to as “fifth disease,” parvovirus B19 presentations can include a bright red “slapped cheek” rash in children and joint pain in adults. However, cases often start with mild fever, headache, sore throat, and other flu-like symptoms, so it’s easy for patients to mistake it for other viral illnesses. Many patients have no symptoms, and no specific treatment is recommended for typical cases other than treating the symptoms.Â
Where did the data come from? In the United States, there is no routine surveillance for parvovirus B19. CDC gathered its data from commercial labs that test plasma and localized reporting. Among plasma donors, the prevalence of pooled samples with parvovirus B19 above the expected threshold increased from 1.5% in December 2023 to 19.9% in June 2024.
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