[Epidemiologic characteristics of human parvovirus B19. Report of an epidemic of erythema infectiosum in the area of Belgrade].

During the period 29.10.1987-10.5.1988 an outbreak of an illness with rash resembling Erythema Infectiosum occurred among school children in one part of Belgrade-Mladenovac. This is the first outbreak of Erythema Infectiosum reported in Yugoslavia and confirmed in University College of Middlesex School of Medicine, London, in November 1989. Of 720 school children exposed to infection of Human Parvovirus B 19 two hundred and eighty four (39.4%) have had clinical symptoms and 166 (58.4%) of them were in the age group 10-14. The sero-epidemiologic investigations excluded infection of Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus and Coxsackie viruses A 9 and B 5. To detect the infection Elisa IgM antibody, complement fixation, inhibition of hemagglutination and isolation have been used. Clinical symptoms of illness have been manifested as Rubella like exanthemas on extremities in 92.5%, extremities and body in 26.5% and the phenomenon "slapped Cheek" was discovered in 76.25% of all patients. Reappearance of rash has been observed in 25% of cases.