Age specific antibody prevalence to parvovirus B19: how many women are infected in pregnancy?

Infection with parvovirus B19 is an important cause of late fetal mortality in the second trimester, and many infections in pregnancy remain undiagnosed. A serological survey stratified by age has been used to estimate the incidence of maternal infection with parvovirus B19 in pregnancy. Serum remaining from specimens submitted for diagnosis from 6864 people of all ages to seven public health laboratories in England was tested for antibody to parvovirus B19. The antibody prevalence rose with age to 45% at 10 years and 60% to 70% in adults. The age specific force of infection was highest in children aged less than 10 years and lowest in adults. Maternal infection with parvovirus B19 is estimated to occur in approximately one pregnancy in 400. It has been estimated that fetal death occurs in 9% of these cases, which suggests that parvovirus B19 may cause more than 150 fetal deaths in England and Wales each year. Testing for evidence of recent infection with parvovirus B19 should be considered for unexplained cases of fetal hydrops in the second trimester, especially in years of parvovirus B19 epidemics.