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Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Ex vivo Culture of Human Placental Explants for the Study of Viral Transmission Across the Maternal-Fetal Interface
Published on: December 30, 2025
Absence of human bocavirus from deceased fetuses and their mothers
Anita Riipinen1, Elina Väisänen, Anne Lahtinen
1Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A, FIN-00250 Helsinki, Finland. anita.riipinen@ttl.fi
Background:
The human bocavirus (HBoV), a newly discovered parvovirus, is closely related to the bovine parvovirus and the canine minute virus, which are known to cause adverse pregnancy outcomes. Another human parvovirus, B19, can lead to fetal hydrops, miscarriage and intrauterine fetal death (IUFD).
Objectives:
To determine the prevalence of HBoV DNA in aborted fetuses and IUFDs. The HBoV serology of the mothers was also studied.
Study Design:
We retrospectively studied all available fetuses (N=535) autopsied during 7/1992-12/1995, and 1/2003-12/2005 in Helsinki, Finland. All available formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded fetal tissues - placenta, heart and liver - of 120 miscarriages, 169 IUFDs, and 246 induced abortions were studied by quantitative PCR. We also measured the HBoV IgM and IgG antibodies in the corresponding maternal sera (N=462) mostly of the first trimester. The IgM-positive sera underwent HBoV PCR.
Results:
None of the fetal tissues harbored HBoV DNA. A total of 97% (448/462) of the mothers were positive for IgG antibodies to HBoV, while only 0.9% (4/462) exhibited HBoV-specific IgM antibodies without viremia or respiratory symptoms. One IgM-positive mother had an unexplained fetal loss.
Conclusions:
We did not find HBoV DNA in any of the deceased fetuses. Almost all pregnant women were HBoV-IgG positive.
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