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Published on: April 4, 2018
Genetic variants of parvovirus B19 identified in the United Kingdom: implications for diagnostic testing
B J Cohen1, J Gandhi, J P Clewley
1Virus Reference Department, Centre for Infections, Health Protection Agency, Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK.
Background:
Discrepant results in diagnostic parvovirus B19 PCR assays have been observed with strains showing nucleotide sequence variation.
Objectives And Study Design:
To perform phylogenetic analysis on two parvovirus B19 strains that gave discrepant PCR results.
Results:
One strain was found to be genotype 2; the second strain was genotype 3.
Conclusions:
Parvovirus B19 genotypes 2 and 3 strains were identified in diagnostic samples of UK origin following the investigation of discrepant PCR results. More structured investigations are needed to estimate the prevalence of these variants. In the meantime, diagnostic PCR results should be interpreted cautiously when they are at variance with serological testing. Manufacturers of PCR kits for the detection of B19 sequences will need to consider re-designing their primers.
