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Parvovirus B19 outbreak in a children's ward

D Pillay1, G Patou, S Hurt

  • 1Division of Communicable Diseases, Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine, London, UK.

Lancet (London, England)
|January 11, 1992
PubMed

Insights

Parvovirus B19 outbreaks pose risks to vulnerable populations. During a hospital outbreak, infection control measures were implemented, but their effectiveness in limiting spread remains uncertain.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Hospital Epidemiology

Background:

  • Parvovirus B19 infection presents significant risks for pregnant women, individuals with hemolytic anemia, and the immunocompromised.
  • Managing hospital outbreaks requires balancing patient protection with maintaining essential medical services.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate a Parvovirus B19 outbreak in a pediatric ward.
  • To assess the infection control measures implemented during the outbreak.

Main Methods:

  • Screening of 58 hospital staff members for Parvovirus B19 markers (serum IgM and viraemia).
  • Assessment of infection development in susceptible staff and immunocompromised patients.
  • Implementation of isolation, immunoglobulin therapy, and ward restrictions.

Main Results:

  • 4 of 6 susceptible male staff and 6 of 24 susceptible female staff became infected (p=0.05).
  • 1 of 11 infected adults and 2 of 12 immunocompromised patients remained asymptomatic.
  • No clear correlation between implemented measures and infection spread limitation was established.

Conclusions:

  • Parvovirus B19 can spread asymptomatically in hospital settings.
  • The effectiveness of specific infection control interventions during this outbreak could not be definitively determined.

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