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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staff
Parvovirus and anemia
Parvovirus infection can cause serious complications for people with anemia, a condition in which red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all the parts of your body, are used up faster than your bone marrow can replace them. Parvovirus infection in people with anemia may stop the production of red blood cells and cause an anemia crisis. People with sickle cell anemia are at particular risk.
Parvovirus can also cause anemia and related complications in:
- The unborn children of women infected with parvovirus during pregnancy
- People who have weakened immune systems
Parvovirus infection in pregnancy
Parvovirus infection during pregnancy sometimes affects red blood cells in the fetus, causing a severe anemia that could lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. Fetal risk appears greatest during the first half of the pregnancy. Treatment options include a blood transfusion directly to your fetus or giving you medications that pass through the placenta to your fetus.
Parvovirus in people with weakened immune systems
Parvovirus infection can also trigger severe anemia in people who have compromised immune systems, which may result from:
- AIDS
- Cancer treatments
- Anti-rejection drugs used after organ transplants
- Fifth disease. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2012: 5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05611-3..C2009-0-38601-8--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05611-3&uniqId=291436269-101. Accessed Dec. 29, 2011.
- Young NS. Parvovirus. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/191371208-2/0/1492/0.html#. Accessed Dec. 29, 2011.
- Parvovirus B19. American Academy of Pediatrics Red Book Online. http://aapredbook.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/2009/1/3.92?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=parvovirus&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&fdate=1/1/2009&tdate=1/31/2009&resourcetype=HWCIT. Accessed Dec. 29, 2011.
- Parvovirus B19 (Fifth disease). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/respiratory/parvo_b19.htm.Accessed Dec. 29, 2011.
- de Jong EP, et al. Parvovirus B19 infection in pregnancy: New insights and management. Prenatal Diagnosis. 2011;31:419.
- Parvovirus B19 infection and pregnancy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/respiratory/b19&preg.htm. Accessed Dec. 29, 2011.
- Brown KE. The expanding range of parvoviruses which infect humans. Reviews in Medical Virology. 2010;20:231.
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