Seroprevalence of parvovirus B19 in the German population

Acute parvovirus B19 infection is a risk for pregnant women. After vertical transmission the infected fetus may develop hydrops fetalis. Since B19 infection occurs mainly during childhood, children represent a main source for virus transmission. In order to determine whether certain groups in the German population show increased risks for B19 infection we analysed the seroprevalence using 6583 sera collected from adults in former Eastern and Western Germany during the German National Health Survey and 649 sera from healthy Thuringian children and adolescents. In adults the overall seroprevalence was 72.1%, rising from 20.4% in children (1-3 years) and 66.9% in adolescents (18-19 years) to 79.1% in the elderly (65-69 years). Significant differences were observed between females (73.3%) and males (70.9%) and between inhabitants of small (74.8%) and big cities (69.0%) but not between people of the former Eastern (72.8%) and Western states (72.0%) of Germany. For women during childbearing age (18-49 years) highest values were observed in those living together with two or more children (81.6%) and in women with occupational contact with children aged <6 years (88.9%). In contrast seroprevalence was significantly lower in age-matched female singles (64.8%) and in women with occupational contact with children aged >6 years and adolescents (63.8%).