Symptoms associated with parvovirus B19 infection in adults: a pilot study

The clinical features of parvovirus B19 infection in adult patients have not been well described. The aim of this prospective study was to clarify the clinical features of adult patients with parvovirus B19 infection in primary care settings.

The study subjects were adults over age 18 years who had visited one primary care clinic over a period of one year. They were chosen if they had at least two of the following three symptoms: edema, joint pain, and rash, and if they had contact with children with erythema infectiosum. The diagnosis was confirmed if anti-parvovirus B19 antibodies were identified. The process of these symptoms was recorded until they resolved.

Twenty patients met the inclusion criteria, and 14 (70%) patients were diagnosed with parvovirus B19 infection. The 14 adult patients consisted of two men and twelve women ranging from 33 to 63 years (median, 38 years). The patients consisted of two groups. In the first group, they presented with the first phase of infection showing symptoms such as malaise, muscle pain, and fever, and in the second phase presented with edema, rash, and joint pain that developed within two days of the first phase. In the second group, the first and second phases were clearly separated.

Parvovirus B19 infection in adults can be efficiently diagnosed in primary care settings by observing clinical symptoms such as edema, joint pain, and rash, and by asking patients about their contact with children who have erythema infectiosum.