Parvovirus B19 in Pregnancy

The human parvovirus B 19 was discovered in 1975 by Cossart but its etiological association with erythema infectiosum and hydrops of the foetus was proved only in 1984-1985. The objective of the submitted prospective study was to assemble basic findings on the herd immunity of the female population and the risk of infection with this agent during pregnancy. Seropositivity of women of fertile age before the epidemic of parvovirus B 19 in 1993 and 1994 was cca 50%, after the epidemic 70%. Erythema infectiosum is a childhood disease (96% of the cases are children under 14 years of age), but seroprevalence of parvovirus IgG in these age groups is only 11%. Thus the infection in adults is frequent but not diagnosed. A parvovirus etiology of possible loss of the foetus on the basis of serological examination is encountered only exceptionally. The Czech commercial preparation gammaglobulin can be used for prevention and treatment of a non-immune foetal hydrops.