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What to know about the 'slapped cheek' virus uptick in the U.S.
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/16/nx-s1-5078353/parvovirus-b19-explainer-uptick-united-statesWhat to know about the 'slapped cheek' virus uptick in the U.S.
AUGUST 17, 2024 6:00 AM ET
Juliana Kim
A parvovirus B19 infection can cause a facial rash in children, which is why the disease caused by the virus is sometimes called "slapped-cheek disease."
Dr P. Marazzi/Science Source
Federal health officials are warning doctors to keep watch for a respiratory virus, known as parvovirus B19, as infection rates tick up in the United States.
Parvovirus B19 has existed for decades, and its symptoms are typically mild or nonexistent among children and healthy adults. But it can also lead to serious complications for people who are pregnant or immunocompromised or who have certain blood disorders.
In a health advisory issued this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported seeing a spike in the proportion of people who tested positive for antibodies — indicating a recent infection — especially among children ages 5 to 9.
[...]
How does it spread, and how do I know if I'm infected?
Parvovirus B19 spreads from person to person three ways: respiratory droplets, blood or during pregnancy from mother to fetus. (Canine parvovirus, which affects dogs, is different from parvovirus B19, and it cannot pass from pet to person or vice versa.)
[...]
AUGUST 17, 2024 6:00 AM ET
Juliana Kim
A parvovirus B19 infection can cause a facial rash in children, which is why the disease caused by the virus is sometimes called "slapped-cheek disease."
Dr P. Marazzi/Science Source
Federal health officials are warning doctors to keep watch for a respiratory virus, known as parvovirus B19, as infection rates tick up in the United States.
Parvovirus B19 has existed for decades, and its symptoms are typically mild or nonexistent among children and healthy adults. But it can also lead to serious complications for people who are pregnant or immunocompromised or who have certain blood disorders.
In a health advisory issued this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported seeing a spike in the proportion of people who tested positive for antibodies — indicating a recent infection — especially among children ages 5 to 9.
[...]
How does it spread, and how do I know if I'm infected?
Parvovirus B19 spreads from person to person three ways: respiratory droplets, blood or during pregnancy from mother to fetus. (Canine parvovirus, which affects dogs, is different from parvovirus B19, and it cannot pass from pet to person or vice versa.)
[...]
======
https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2024/han00514.asp
Increase in Human Parvovirus B19 Activity in the United States
Distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network
August 13, 2024, 2:30 PM ET
Summary
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to notify healthcare providers, public health authorities, and the public about current increases in human parvovirus B19 activity in the United States. Parvovirus B19 is a seasonal respiratory virus that is transmitted through respiratory droplets by people with symptomatic or asymptomatic infection. In the first quarter of 2024, public health authorities in 14 European countries observed unusually high numbers of cases of parvovirus B19. In the United States, there is no routine surveillance for parvovirus B19, and it is not a notifiable condition. Recently, CDC has received reports indicating increased parvovirus B19 activity in the United States. Data include increased test positivity for parvovirus B19 in clinical specimens and pooled plasma from a large commercial laboratory, and reports of clusters of parvovirus B19-associated complications among pregnant people and people with sickle cell disease. The proportion of people with IgM antibodies, an indicator of recent infection, increased among all ages from 104 IU/mL increased from 1.5% in December 2023 to 19.9% in June 2024.
[...]
Distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network
August 13, 2024, 2:30 PM ET
Summary
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to notify healthcare providers, public health authorities, and the public about current increases in human parvovirus B19 activity in the United States. Parvovirus B19 is a seasonal respiratory virus that is transmitted through respiratory droplets by people with symptomatic or asymptomatic infection. In the first quarter of 2024, public health authorities in 14 European countries observed unusually high numbers of cases of parvovirus B19. In the United States, there is no routine surveillance for parvovirus B19, and it is not a notifiable condition. Recently, CDC has received reports indicating increased parvovirus B19 activity in the United States. Data include increased test positivity for parvovirus B19 in clinical specimens and pooled plasma from a large commercial laboratory, and reports of clusters of parvovirus B19-associated complications among pregnant people and people with sickle cell disease. The proportion of people with IgM antibodies, an indicator of recent infection, increased among all ages from 104 IU/mL increased from 1.5% in December 2023 to 19.9% in June 2024.
[...]