Parvoviruses: infections and arthropathies

Parvoviruses (PVs) are unique in that they are the only single-stranded DNA viruses of vertebrates. Two human PVs have now been described and characterized, and genomes sequenced: B19 and RA-1. The B19 PV is known to be associated with arthritis in humans, and RA-1 was recovered from the synovial cells of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. This article will discuss the nature of these two viruses, their possible relationships to chronic joint disease of humans, and the clinical illnesses of B19 infection.