Uptick in Parvovirus B19

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a health advisory for human parvovirus B19, a highly transmissible airborne respiratory virus. In the first quarter of 2024, public health authorities in 14 European countries observed unusually high numbers of cases of parvovirus B19. In the US, meanwhile, the number of people testing positive for antibodies increased from less than 3% from 2022 to 2024 to 10% in June 2024, with the greatest increase in kids aged 5 to 9 years old. Plasma donations also indicate a recent uptick in infections.