Parvovirus B19 infection in five European countries: seroepidemiology, force of infection and maternal risk of infection

Abstract

We conducted a seroprevalence survey in Belgium, Finland, England & Wales, Italy and Poland on 13 449 serum samples broadly representative in terms of geography and age. Samples were tested for the presence of immunoglobulin G antibody using an enzyme immunoassay. The age-specific risk of infection was estimated using parametric and non-parametric statistical modelling. The age-specific risk in all five countries was highest in children aged 7-9 years and lower in adults. The average proportion of women of child-bearing age susceptible to parvovirus B19 infection and the risk of a pregnant women acquiring B19 infection during pregnancy was estimated to be 26 % and 0.61 % in Belgium, 38 % and 0.69 % in England & Wales, 43.5 % and 1.24 % in Finland, 39.9% and 0.92 % in Italy and 36.8 % and 1.58 % in Poland, respectively. Our study indicates substantial epidemiological differences in Europe regarding parvovirus B19 Infection.