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Introduction: Outbreaks of acute hepatitis of unknown etiology (AHUE) in children were reported in Western countries in 2022. Previous studies found that adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) and its helper viruses, such as human adenovirus (HAdV) and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6), are frequently detected in patients with AHUE. However, the existence of hepatitis associated with AAV2 prior to AHUE outbreaks in 2022 had not yet been investigated. We aimed to investigate the association between AAV2 and pediatric acute hepatitis in Japanese children, as well as the incidence of AAV2-related hepatitis prior to 2022., Methods: Preserved blood samples obtained from 49 pediatric patients with acute hepatitis between 2017 and 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Blood samples from 50 children with acute illnesses and 50 children with chronic conditions were used as controls. Viral DNA loads were quantitated using real-time PCR., Results: AAV2 DNA was detected in 12 % (6/49) of acute hepatitis cases but in only one acute illness and none of the chronic-condition control cases. The concentration of AAV2 DNA in the six acute hepatitis cases was higher than that in the acute-illness control case. Co-infection with one or more helper viruses, including HAdV, HHV-6, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr virus, was observed in five AAV2-positive cases., Conclusions: Our results indicated the sporadic occurrence of pediatric severe hepatitis associated with AAV2 infection in Japan prior to the AHUE outbreaks in 2022. Our findings suggest that co-infection with AAV2 and helper viruses plays a role in developing severe hepatitis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy, Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases, and Japanese Society for Infection Prevention and Control. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Since the beginning of 2024, several European countries reported unusually high numbers of Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) infections. An increase in B19V incidence rate might have implications for blood products for direct transfusion, however, large data sets for analysis of this outbreak are missing., Study Design and Methods: B19V nucleic acid testing (NAT) of plasma donations collected between June 2018 and May 2024 from mainly Central European countries (n = 9.6 million) and the United States (n = 70.7 million) was done to the individual donation level., Results: In Central Europe, there was a marked increase in B19V incidence from November 2023 onwards, which peaked in April 2024 with a 33-fold higher than average B19V incidence versus before the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States, a similar trend was seen, with a yet still 6-fold lower increase than in Europe at the same time. The largest increase in B19V positivity was seen in the youngest plasma donor cohort., Discussion: A B19V infection gap during the COVID-19 pandemic is likely the basis for the rebound outbreak in 2023/2024, particularly in Europe. B19V NAT of millions of plasma donations provides for large scale numbers to solidify available epidemiology insight, and to support adequate risk assessments. Based on the situation it may be prudent to consider B19V NAT for blood components specifically directed towards transfusion to higher risk recipients, or alternatively, preselecting B19V seropositive individuals or advanced age donors at higher likelihood of seropositivity and thus lower risk of virus transmission., (© 2024 The Author(s). Transfusion published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of AABB.)

Human parvovirus B19 is a prevalent childhood infectious virus that poses a great challenge to public health, so the detection of B19V is of great importance. In this study, a DNA sensor based on CbAgo, a Cas effector, and a dual electrochemical signal amplification strategy was developed by using a novel nanocomposite MnO 2 /CMK-3/g-C 3 N 4 /AgNPs for initial signal amplification, with CMK being an ordered mesoporous carbon nanomaterial. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were used as electrocatalytic probes for secondary signal amplification to detect B19 DNA. The detection process begins with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using the B19V infectious clone plasmid (pB19-M20) as a template and NS1-F/R as primers, followed by specific cleavage of B19 DNA based on the programmable cutting sites of CbAgo effector protein. This study enriches the application of Argonaute proteins in sensing and introduces a novel method to detect B19V. Under optimized conditions, the biosensor can detect B19 DNA in the range of 10 -15 -10 -10  M, with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.2 fM. The results indicate that the developed DNA sensor holds promise for reliable and sensitive detection of B19 DNA in human serum., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The objective of this prospective study was to assess the proportion and clinical consequences of human bocavirus 1 (HBoV1) replication in children hospitalized for acute bronchiolitis (AB) with HBoV1 DNA in the nasopharynx (NP)., Methods: For this purpose, we detected HBoV1 DNA and mRNA (evidence of viral replication and viable virus) in NP in cases and healthy control children. This research allowed us to distinguish active HBoV1 infections from inactive ones., Results: HBoV1 DNA was detected in the NP of 37 of 307 patients with AB (12.1%) and 9 of 150 children in a healthy control group (6%) with a high codetection rate with other respiratory viruses in AB patients, 28 of 37 (75.7%). Only 9 of 37 HBoV1 DNA-positive NP swabs (24.3%) with high DNA load were also HBoV1 mRNA positive, moreover, HBoV1 DNA was also detected in the plasma of these patients., Conclusions: Based on the results of our study, we can conclude that children with AB acute HBoV1 infection has a high HBoV1 DNA load in NP samples together with detected HBoV1 mRNA and detected HBoV1 DNA in plasma., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Objective: To determine the association between ionized calcium (iCa) and/or total magnesium (tMg) and the development of sepsis and to investigate whether iCa or tMg is associated with mortality in puppies with canine parvoviral enteritis (CPE)., Methods: 64 client-owned puppies with CPE were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Serum iCa and tMg were measured daily from admission until death or discharge. Fifteen healthy client-owned puppies were used as controls., Results: Mean iCa concentrations of the CPE group on admission were significantly lower compared to the control group (1.35 mmol/L vs 1.52 mmol/L). Ionized calcium concentrations of nonsurvivors were significantly higher compared to survivors on day 2 but not on any other days. Puppies that were hypercalcemic on day 2 were also significantly more likely to die than normocalcemic puppies (OR, 10.7; 95% CI, 1.7 to 71). Ionized calcium was not associated with the development of sepsis on any day. In contrast, mean admission tMg concentrations of the CPE group were significantly higher compared to the control group (0.72 mmol/L vs 0.63 mmol/L). However, tMg concentrations were not significantly different between survivors and nonsurvivors nor were they associated with the development of sepsis on any day., Conclusions: On admission, puppies with CPE had lower iCa and higher tMg compared to healthy puppies, and higher iCa a day after initiation of treatment was associated with increased odds of mortality., Clinical Relevance: The results of this study provide insight into calcium homeostasis in critically ill young dogs with CPE.

The lack of a permissive cell culture system has limited high-resolution structures of parvovirus B19 (B19V) to virus-like particles (VLPs). In this study, we present the atomic resolution structure (2.2 Å) of authentic B19V purified from a patient blood sample. There are significant differences compared to non-infectious VLPs. Most strikingly, two host protease inhibitors (PIs), inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 4 (ITIH4) and serpinA3, were identified in complex with the capsids in all patient samples tested. The ITIH4 binds specifically to the icosahedral fivefold axis and serpinA3 occupies the twofold axis. The protein-coated virions remain infectious, and the capsid-associated PIs retain activity; however, upon virion interaction with target cells, the PIs dissociate from the capsid prior to viral entry. Our finding of an infectious virion shielded by bound host serum proteins suggests an evolutionarily favored phenomenon to evade immune surveillance and escape host protease activity., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Parvovirus B19 virus-mediated viral inflammation and immune-complex deposition generate mainly short-term manifestations in the affected individuals. The objective of this study was to determine Parvovirus B19 infection in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients., Methodology: The study employed 50 patients diagnosed with RA and 30 healthy individuals. Blood samples were collected from both groups. The blood samples were screened for Parvovirus B19 infection using polymerase chain reaction to detect B19 DNA and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect anti-B19 IgM and IgG., Results: 17 (34%) of 50 patients tested positive for parvovirus B19 DNA. In contrast, the mortality rate in the control group was significantly lower (6.7%; p = 0.005). Anti-B19 IgG antibody levels differed significantly with patients and control (p = 0.007), whereas anti-B19 IgM Ab levels did not (p = 0.6). There was a significant correlation between viremia B19 and all measured parameters. Parvovirus-affected patients had significantly higher CRP and ESR, elevated DAS28 scores, and more joint pain compared to parvovirus (-) patients., Conclusion: Anti-CCP and RF values were significantly high in parvovirus (+) patients. Joint erosion was also prevalent in patients who tested positive for parvovirus. The findings of this study suggest that infection with parvovirus in patients with RA, and a possible role of this viral infection in the pathogenesis of RA may contribute to the pathogenesis of RA., Competing Interests: No Conflict of Interest is declared, (Copyright (c) 2024 Maryam Kareem Ali, Jaafar Sataar Shia.)

A core component of every blood program is the supply of safe blood and blood products. The elevated risk of transmission through these products is due to parvovirus B19 (B19V) resistance to the virus inactivation procedures. Our study aimed to screen asymptomatic blood donors for B19V at a tertiary care hospital in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, between September 2020 and June 2021. Sera from 106 healthy blood donors who tested negative for Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), syphilis, and malaria were tested for anti-B19V IgM and IgG using a qualitative indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the study population, 23.5% (n = 25) of donors tested IgM positive, 38.6% (n = 41) tested IgG positive, and 7.5% (n = 8) tested positive for both IgM and IgG. A proportion of 61.3% (n = 65) of the blood donors tested IgG negative, suggesting they had no past B19V infection. B19V DNA was not detected in any of the subjects. The high seroprevalence of IgM indicates that blood donors may have been recently exposed to B19V, potentially posing a risk to immunocompromised individuals and those with hematological stress. Further longitudinal studies with a larger sample size are recommended to better understand the risk of B19V transfusion transmission., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Parvovirus B19(B19) is a DNA virus. The most common B19 disease is erythema infectiosum (fifth-disease). PCR and ELISA are sensitive for detecting of acute disease. However, it is not clear which test better and the relationship between laboratory tests and clinical findings., Objective: To discuss the clinical and laboratory characteristics of pediatric patients infected with B19., Study Design: 236 children were examined. Children with at least one positive molecular or serological test were included. Positive serum B19-DNA and/or B19-IgM was considered an acute B19 infection., Results: B19DNA was detected in 80.8 % of acute cases. Serological tests were less positive. Acute B19 infection was observed in 24 patients. Only 17 patients were positive for B19 DNA, 3 for IgM and 4 for both. The sensitivity of B19 DNA is 87.5 %. However, this rate is 29.2 % for B19 IgM., Conclusion: B19-DNA and IgM together provide a better, highly accurate diagnosis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background and Objectives: In Canada, plasma sent for fractionation is tested for both parvovirus B19 (B19V) and hepatitis A virus (HAV). This study compared positivity rates of B19 and HAV nucleic acid tests (NATs) in Canadian plasma samples for the pre-COVID-19 restriction era (2015 to end of February 2020 [Q1] 2020) and the post-COVID-19 restriction era., Materials and Methods: Pooled EDTA plasma specimens were tested within 24 months of blood draw using the Procleix Panther System (Grifols Diagnostic Solutions Inc, San Diego, CA, USA) for B19V and HAV detection. Reactive pools were resolved by individual specimen testing., Results: Between 1 January 2015, and 31 March 2022, 3,928,619 specimens from Canadian plasma donors were tested for B19V. For the same period, 3,922,954 specimens were tested for HAV. To account for a lag in specimen testing for up to 24 months, the data were divided into: (1) a pre-pandemic period (1 January 2015-31 March 2020; B19V tested n = 2,412,701, B19V NAT-positive n = 240 [0.01%], HAV tested n = 2,407,036, HAV NAT-positive n = 26 [0.001%]); (2) a two-year mixed-impact period (1 April 2020-31 March 2022; B19V tested n = 968,250, B19V NAT-positive n = 14 [0.001%], HAV tested n = 968,250, HAV NAT-positive n = 2 [0.0002%]); and (3) a pandemic-impact period (1 April 2022-31 March, 2023; B19V tested n = 597,668, B19V NAT-positive n = 3 [0.0005%], HAV tested n = 597,668, HAV NAT-positive n = 1 [0.0002%])., Conclusion: The percentage of B19V- and HAV-positive donations was significantly reduced from the pre-pandemic period to the pandemic-impact period., (© 2024 International Society of Blood Transfusion.)

Genomic sequence analysis of autonomous parvoviruses within the genus Protoparvovirus generates 2 groups that are principally of mouse origin: the minute virus of mice (MVM) strains (MVMp, MVMi, MVMc, MVMm) and the mouse parvovirus (MPV)-like strains (MPV-1, MPV-2, MPV-3, MPV-4, MPV-5, HaPV, LuIII). Baculovirus-expressed recombinant capsid protein (rVP2) from each of these 11 parvovirus strains were produced, purified, and demonstrated to form virus-like particles. Each rVP2 preparation was then used as antigen in a multiplex fluorescent immunoassay and to immunize 5 different strains of mice. Sera from immunized mice, mice experimentally monoinfected with various MVM or MPV isolates, and mice naturally infected with murine parvoviruses were evaluated with the multiplex fluorescent immunoassay rVP2 panel. Results for sera from immunized mice indicate that homologous antigen-antisera interactions produced the strongest seroreactivity. All MVM antigens were highly cross-reactive with heterologous MVM antisera, while more variability was observed in heterologous antigen-antisera reactions among the MPV-like strains. MPV-1, MPV-3, HaPV, and LuIII were highly cross-reactive with each other, MPV-2 and MPV-5 were highly cross-reactive with each other, and MPV-4 displayed modest cross-reactivity with certain MPV-like strains. Serologic cross-reactivity patterns similar to those in immunized mice were observed in mice experimentally infected with MVMp, MVMm, MPV-1, MPV-5, or HaPV, and in sera from mice naturally infected with MVM and MPV. Serologic cross-reactivity spectrums suggest a small panel of rVP2 antigens (MVM, MPV-1, MPV-2, MPV-4) combined with the generic murine parvovirus recombinant nonstructural protein 1 (rNS1) antigen are sufficient for qualitative detection of currently known MVM and MPV-like strains.

Reports of newly discovered equine hepatotropic flavi- and parvoviruses have emerged throughout the last decade in many countries, the discovery of which has stimulated a great deal of interest and clinical research. Although commonly detected in horses without signs of disease, equine parvovirus hepatitis (EqPV-H) and equine hepacivirus (EqHV) have been associated with liver disease, including following the administration of contaminated anti-toxin. Our aim was to determine whether EqPV-H and EqHV are present in Australian horses and whether EqPV-H was present in French horses and to examine sequence diversity between strains of both viruses amongst infected horses on either side of the globe. Sera from 188 Australian horses and 256 French horses from horses with and without clinical signs of disease were collected. Twelve out of 256 (4.7%) and 6 out of 188 (3.2%) French and Australian horses, respectively, were positive for the molecular detection of EqPV-H. Five out of 256 (1.9%) and 21 out of 188 (11.2%) French and Australian horses, respectively, were positive for the molecular detection of EqHV. Australian strains for both viruses were genomically clustered, in contrast to strains from French horses, which were more broadly distributed. The findings of this preliminary survey, with the molecular detection of EqHV and EqPV-H in Australia and the latter in France, adds to the growing body of awareness regarding these recently discovered hepatotropic viruses. It has provided valuable information not just in terms of geographic endemicity but will guide equine clinicians, carers, and authorities regarding infectious agents and potential impacts of allogenic tissue contamination. Although we have filled many gaps in the world map regarding equine hepatotropic viruses, further prospective studies in this emerging field may be useful in terms of elucidating risk factors and pathogenesis of these pathogens and management of cases in terms of prevention and diagnosis.

In France, blood donations are tested in pools of 96 samples for parvovirus B19 (B19V) DNA to discard plasma for fractionation when it contains high viral loads. Between January 2015 and March 2024, B19V-positive donations decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a strong rebound in 2023 and unusually high circulation during winter 2023/24 (ca 10 times higher December 2023-March 2024 vs the pre-pandemic period). Variations over time are probably related to measures implemented to limit SARS-CoV-2 spread.

A unique region of human parvovirus B19 virus‑VP1 (B19V‑VP1u) has been linked to a variety of cardiac disorders. However, the precise role of B19V‑VP1u in inducing cardiac injury remains unknown. The present study investigated the effects of B19V‑VP1u and different regions of B19V‑VP1u, including B19V‑VP1uA (residues 1‑60), B19V‑VP1uB (residues 61‑129), B19V‑VP1uC (residues 130‑195) and B19V‑VP1uD (residues 196‑227), on inducing cardiac injury in naïve mice by zymography, immunoblotting, H&E staining and cytokine immunoassay. A significantly higher MMP‑9/MMP‑2 ratio and increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, including IL‑6 and IL‑1β, were detected in the left ventricles of the mice injected with B19V‑non‑structural protein 1 (B19V‑NS1) and B19V‑VP1u, accompanied by increased expression levels of phosphorylated (p‑)ERK and p‑P38. Significantly upregulated expression levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), heart‑type fatty acid‑binding protein (H‑FABP) and creatine kinase isoenzyme‑MB (CK‑MB), which are well‑known cardiac injury markers, as well as increased infiltration of lymphocytes, were detected in the left ventricles of the mice injected with B19V‑VP1, B19V‑NS1 and B19V‑VP1u. Moreover, a significantly higher MMP‑9/MMP‑2 ratio and increased levels of IL‑6 and IL‑1β were observed in the left ventricles of the mice injected with B19V‑VP1u, B19V‑VP1u‑A, B19V‑VP1u‑B and B19V‑VP1u‑C, accompanied by upregulated p‑ERK and p‑P38 expression. Notably, significantly lower levels of IL‑6 and IL‑1β were observed in the left ventricles of the mice injected with B19V‑VP1uD. Furthermore, significantly increased ANP, H‑FABP and CK‑MB expression levels were detected in the left ventricles of the mice injected with B19V‑VP1u, B19V‑VP1u‑A and B19V‑VP1u‑B, along with enhanced infiltration of lymphocytes. Significantly higher serum IL‑1β, IL‑6, TNF‑α and IFN‑γ levels were also detected in the mice injected with B19V‑VP1u, B19V‑VP1u‑A and B19V‑VP1u‑B. To the best of our knowledge, the findings of the present study were the first to demonstrate that the N‑terminal region (residues 1‑129) of B19V‑VP1u induces an increase in the levels of cardiac injury markers, thus providing evidence for understanding the possible functional regions within B19V‑VP1u.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease, characterized by the immune-mediated destruction of insulin-producing β cells of pancreatic islets. Essential components of the innate immune antiviral response, including type I IFN and IFN receptor (IFNAR)-mediated signaling pathways, likely contribute to human type 1 diabetes susceptibility. We previously showed that LEW.1WR1 Ifnar1 -/- rats have a significant reduction in diabetes frequency following Kilham rat virus (KRV) infection. To delineate the impact of IFNAR loss on immune cell populations in KRV-induced diabetes, we performed flow cytometric analysis in spleens from LEW.1WR1 wild-type (WT) and Ifnar1 -/- rats after viral infection but before the onset of insulitis and diabetes. We found a relative decrease in CD8 + T cells and NK cells in KRV-infected LEW.1WR1 Ifnar1 -/- rats compared with KRV-infected WT rats; splenic regulatory T cells were diminished in WT but not Ifnar1 -/- rats. In contrast, splenic neutrophils were increased in KRV-infected Ifnar1 -/- rats compared with KRV-infected WT rats. Transcriptional analysis of splenic cells from KRV-infected rats confirmed a reduction in IFN-stimulated genes in Ifnar1 -/- compared with WT rats and revealed an increase in transcripts related to neutrophil chemotaxis and MHC class II. Single-cell RNA sequencing confirmed that MHC class II transcripts are increased in monocytes and macrophages and that numerous types of splenic cells harbor KRV. Collectively, these findings identify dynamic shifts in innate and adaptive immune cells following IFNAR disruption in a rat model of autoimmune diabetes, providing insights toward the role of type I IFNs in autoimmunity., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors.)

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a single-stranded DNA virus that causes severe and fatal gastrointestinal diseases in dogs. CPV has developed several strategies to evade innate immune response mediated by type I interferons (IFN-I) to achieve a successful infection. The aim of this work was to evaluate the capability of CVP-2c to evade the IFN-I mediated response in infected cells. To establish the role of this response, the gene expression of interferon β (IFNβ), IFIT1, IFIT3, MAVS, and STING were estimated in MDCK cells infected with CPV-2c. Viral replication and gene expression was evaluated by quantitative PCR, also, a treatment with IFN-I (interferon omega) was included to confirm the role of IFN-I during CPV infection. The results revealed that CPV-2c infection stimulates the expression of IFNβ moderately, in these cells. Due to low IFNβ induction, the IFIT1 and IFIT3 expression were also low, and therefore CPV-2c was able to replicate in these cells. However, when the cells were treated with exogenous IFN-I, the IFNβ expression was higher, leading to an increased gene expression of IFIT1 and IFIT3, responsible for antiviral control. The overexpression of these proteins reduced the expression of NS1 and VP2 viral genes and hence viral replication. MAVS and STING expression on infected cells showed a mild increase compared to IFNβ, suggesting that the viral infection could partially modify its expression. All results obtained in this study showed that during CPV-2c infection in MDCK cells, the IFNβ expression was altered since this cytokine is one of the most critical factors for the control and inhibition of viral replication., (Copyright© by the Polish Academy of Sciences.)

Background: Human parvovirus B19 (B19) is a pathogen that threatens the quality of plasma products. Therefore, health authorities have mandated measures against B19 contamination of plasma pools. The US FDA has recommended a B19 genome level of 10 4  IU/ml or lower in pooled plasma lots. Therefore, the B19 nucleic acid amplification test (B19-NAT) has been introduced in many plasma fractionators. However, in the Japanese Red Cross, which is the only approved blood collector in Japan, the B19 antigen test has been introduced for screening donated blood in Japan. Therefore, to clarify whether the antigen test is robust enough to screen blood samples according to the FDA recommendation, we evaluated B19 genome levels in each pooled plasma lot from 2003 to 2020., Study Design and Methods: Data of 5576 pooled plasma lots from factories A and B, which were derived from plasma bags and passed the B19 antigen-based tests, receptor-mediated hemagglutination assay (B19-RHA), or chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (B19-CLEIA), during 2003 to 2020, were evaluated. The amount of B19 genome in each lot was determined using quantitative or semiquantitative B19-NAT., Results: The B19 genome levels in pooled plasma lots screened using B19-RHA did not meet the FDA recommendation, whereas the lots derived from B19-CLEIA fulfilled the FDA recommendation, even during the B19 epidemic in Japan., Discussion: The results suggest that the B19-CLEIA donor screening for plasma pools is also useful in light of the US FDA recommendation., (© 2021 AABB.)

Since its first discovery by Arnold Theiler in 1918, serum hepatitis also known as Theiler's disease has been reported worldwide, causing idiopathic acute hepatitis and liver failure in horses. Recent studies have suggested a novel parvovirus, named equine parvovirus hepatitis (EqPV-H), to be associated with Theiler's disease. Despite the severity and potential fatality of EqPV-H infection, little is known about the possibility of developing chronic infections and putative cross-species infection of equine sister species. In the present longitudinal study, we employed qPCR analysis, serology, and biochemical testing as well as pathology examination of liver biopsies and sequence analysis to investigate potential chronic EqPV-H infection in an isolated study cohort of in total 124 horses from Germany over five years (2013-2018). Importantly, our data suggest that EqPV-H viremia can become chronic in infected horses that do not show biochemical and pathological signs of liver disease. Phylogenetic analysis by maximum likelihood model also confirms high sequence similarity and nucleotide conservation of the multidomain nuclear phosphoprotein NS1 sequences from equine serum samples collected between 2013-2018. Moreover, by examining human, zebra, and donkey sera for the presence of EqPV-H DNA and VP1 capsid protein antibodies, we found evidence for cross-species infection in donkey, but not to human and zebra. In conclusion, this study provides proof for the occurrence of persistent EqPV-H infection in asymptomatic horses and cross-species EqPV-H detection in donkeys.

Human parvovirus (B19V) is the causative agent of erythema infectiosum in children and is linked to a wide range of clinical manifestations. Studies related to B19V prevalence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and other parts of Asia are very scarce. The objectives of this study were to estimate the seroprevalence (anti-B19V IgM and IgG), the viremia rate (B19V DNA), and the circulating genotypes of B19V among blood donors in Qatar., Methods: Donors' blood samples ( n = 5026) from different nationalities, mainly from the MENA region and South East Asia, were collected from 2014-2016. Samples were tested for the B19V DNA using RT-PCR. Furthermore, 1000 selected samples were tested to determine the seroprevalence of B19V antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Genotyping was performed on 65 DNA positive samples by sequencing of nested PCR fragments (NS1-VP1u region, 927 nt)., Results: Only 1.4% (70/5026) of the samples had detectible B19V DNA in their blood. B19V DNA prevalence statistically decreased with age ( p = 0.03). Anti-B19V IgG was detected in 60.3% (561/930) of the tested samples, while only 2.1% (20/930) were IgM-positive and 1.2% (11/930) were both IgM- and IgG-positive. B19V genotyping showed a predominance of Genotype 1 (100%). Sequence analysis of the NS1-VP1u region revealed 139 mutation sites, some of which were amino acid substitutions., Conclusion: Our results indicated a relatively high seroprevalence of B19V in Qatar. Most importantly, B19 DNA was detected among Qatari and non-Qatari blood donors. Therefore, blood banks in Qatar might need to consider screening for B19V, especially when transfusion is intended for high-risk populations, including immunocompromised patients.

Three human protoparvoviruses, bufavirus (BuV), tusavirus (TuV) and cutavirus (CuV), have recently been discovered in diarrheal stool. BuV has been associated with diarrhea and CuV with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, but there are hardly any data for TuV or CuV in stool or respiratory samples. Hence, using qPCR and IgG enzyme immunoassays, we analyzed 1072 stool, 316 respiratory and 445 serum or plasma samples from 1098 patients with and without gastroenteritis (GE) or respiratory-tract infections (RTI) from Finland, Latvia and Malawi. The overall CuV-DNA prevalences in stool samples ranged between 0-6.1% among our six patient cohorts. In Finland, CuV DNA was significantly more prevalent in GE patients above rather than below 60 years of age (5.1% vs 0.2%). CuV DNA was more prevalent in stools among Latvian and Malawian children compared with Finnish children. In 10/11 CuV DNA-positive adults and 4/6 CuV DNA-positive children with GE, no known causal pathogens were detected. Interestingly, for the first time, CuV DNA was observed in two nasopharyngeal aspirates from children with RTI and the rare TuV in diarrheal stools of two adults. Our results provide new insights on the occurrence of human protoparvoviruses in GE and RTI in different countries.

Objectives: Parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection is commonly acute and self-limited, but in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients under dialysis treatment, this infection could increase susceptibility to acute and chronic anemia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and risk of B19V infection among Brazilian CKD patients under dialysis., Methods: A study was conducted among 221 CKD patients and a control group of 142 blood donors. B19V infection was evaluated in serum samples by real-time PCR, and ELISA (anti-B19V IgM and IgG)., Results: B19V DNA was detected in 65% (145/221) of CKD patients, which was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than in the blood donors (6.3%). Simultaneous detection of B19V IgG and viremia was shown in 40.3% of CKD patients, which was indicative of persistent B19V infection. CKD patients showed an increased risk of developing B19V infection (OR = 28.1, CI = 13.5-58.5, p = 0.001)., Conclusions: Despite an absence of clinical signs of B19V infection, these data highlight the importance of B19V infection in this high-risk population, since a persistent B19V infection could become clinically significant after renal transplant. Moreover, the persistent viremia should be considered as a potential risk, mainly because of the contamination of dialysis equipment., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Currently, along with the increasing need of medical organizations for blood preparations, algorithms for laboratory testing of blood donors are not available for all infections with hemo-contact mechanism of transmission. A representative example is infection caused by parvovirus В19., Purpose of the Study: The article presents the results of the original study, the purpose of which was to study the prevalence of antibodies to parvovirus B19 and the activity of the circulation of this virus in socially important categories of the population., Material and Methods: The materials of the study were blood samples from blood donors of Saint Petersburg, as well as parvovirus В19 sequences isolated from DNA-positive plasma samples., Results and Discussion: According to the results of the laboratory examination, a high proportion of carriers of virus-specific IgG antibodies was found in studied group of donors, which confirms the previous infection of parvovirus B19 in them and illustrates the high prevalence of infection in this socially significant group. Based on the results of the blood preparations testing, the presence of parvovirus DNA В19 in a significant number of samples was determined by polymerase chain reaction method. This indicates an current parvovirus infection in the examined donors and points to a high epidemiological risk of the blood products obtained from them. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of a fragment of the VP1 gene demonstrated that the studied isolates belonged to А1 genotype and its subtype 1А2, which correlates with the genotypes of parvovirus В19 circulating in the European Union and Asia. In addition, two previously unknown В19 parvovirus isolates were isolated, the nucleotide sequences of which were deposited into the international GenBank database., Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, it is justified to include testing of blood samples for markers of В19 parvovirus infection in existing algorithms of laboratory examination of donors, which will ensure prevention of hemo-contact infection of blood recipients with parvovirus В19.

Plasma from patients with dengue-like symptoms was collected in 2013 to 2016 from the Brazilian states of Tocantins and Amapa. 781 samples testing negative for IgM against Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya viruses and for flaviviruses, alphaviruses and enteroviruses RNA using RT-PCRs were analyzed using viral metagenomics. Viral particles-associated nucleic acids were enriched, randomly amplified, and deep sequenced in 102 mini-pools generating over 2 billion reads. Sequence data was analyzed for the presence of known and novel eukaryotic viral reads. Anelloviruses were detected in 80%, human pegivirus 1 in 19%, and parvovirus B19 in 17% of plasma pools. HIV and enteroviruses were detected in two pools each. Previously uncharacterized viral genomes were also identified, and their presence in single plasma samples confirmed by PCR. Chapparvovirus and ambidensovirus genomes, both in the Parvoviridae family, were partially characterized showing 33% and 34% identity in their NS1 sequences to their closest relative. Molecular surveillance using pre-existing plasma from febrile patients provides a readily scalable approach for the detection of novel, potentially emerging, viruses., Competing Interests: This study was partially supported by Vitalant Research Institute, an unrestricted research grant from Grifols Diagnostic Solutions Inc., FAPESP #2016/01735-2 and CNPq #400354/2016-0. Antonio Charlys da-Costa is funded by FAPESP #2017/00021-9. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. There are no patents, products in development or marketed products to declare.

Background: Parvovirus B19 (B19) has tropism for cells of the erythroid lineage, which may lead to transient inhibition of erythropoiesis. Several studies and case reports suggested that B19 infection may contribute significantly to severe chronic anemia in HIV infected persons., Objective: To detect parvovirus B19 DNA in treatment-naïve HIV patients., Methods: This was a case control retrospective study. One hundred nineteen anemic and 81 non-anemic treatment-naïve HIV infected patients participated in the study at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect B19 DNA., Results: Out of 200 patients analysed, 13(6.5%) had parvovirus B19 DNA. Eight HIV patients with anemia had B19 DNA while five non-anemic HIV patients had B19 DNA. This suggests that the presence of B19 DNA in the blood of HIV positive individuals may contribute to anemia because the majority (61.5%) who were positive for B19 DNA had anemia as compared to the non-anemic control group (38.5%)., Conclusion: This study shows that the presence of B19 DNA in anemic HIV infected patients is not associated with chronic anaemia in HIV infection because no significant association exist., (© 2020 Ashaka OS et al.)

Background: Dogs infected with canine parvovirus (CPV) have compromised intestinal epithelial barrier integrity. Production of D-lactate by enteric bacteria may directly reflect disease severity or contribute to metabolic acid-base status in these dogs., Hypothesis: Serum D-lactate concentration will be increased in CPV dogs compared to healthy controls and correlate with markers of disease severity and acid-base status., Animals: Dogs with CPV undergoing treatment (n = 40) and healthy control dogs (n = 9)., Methods: Prospective observational study. Dogs with CPV had a baseline and daily CBC, venous blood gas with serum electrolyte concentrations, composite clinical severity score, and serum D-lactate concentration performed. A single serum D-lactate measurement was obtained from healthy control dogs., Results: The CPV dogs had a higher D-lactate concentration (mean ± SD) of 469 ± 173 μM compared to controls, 306 ± 45 μM (P < .001). There was no difference in baseline D-lactate concentrations for CPV survivors (474 ± 28 μM), versus nonsurvivors (424 ± 116 μM; P = .70). D-lactate concentration decreased over the first 4 days of treatment (-9.6 μM/d; P = .46). Dogs hospitalized for <4 days had lower baseline D-lactate concentrations compared to those hospitalized ≥4 days (400 ± 178 μM versus 520 ± 152 μM; P = .03). No sustained correlation over time between serum D-lactate concentration and clinical severity score or recorded acid-base results., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Serum D-lactate concentrations are higher in dogs with CPV compared to healthy controls but do not appear to be clinically relevant. No relationship identified between serum D-lactate concentrations and markers of CPV disease severity, acid-base status, or outcome., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.)

Infections with porcine parvoviruses 1 through 7 (PPV1-PPV7) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) are widespread in pig population. PCV2 is involved in a number of disease syndromes collectively called PCV2-associated diseases (PCVD). It is well elucidated, that PPV1 may act as a triggering factor of PCVD through supporting PCV2 replication. Less is known about the PPV2-PPV7 impact on PCV2 viremia, but several authors suggested an association between these viruses. In order to provide a better understanding of PCV2 and PPVs co-infections, 519 serum samples from eight Polish swine farms were tested by real-time PCR to assess the possible impact of PPV1-PPV7 on PCV2 viremia. Among all 519 serum samples, 30.6 % were positive for PCV2 and PPVs detection rates ranged from 2.9 % (PPV1) to 26.6 % (PPV2). Within 159 serum samples categorized as PCV2-positive, the prevalence rates of PPVs ranged from 7.5 % (PPV1) to 37.1 % (PPV6). The level of PCV2 viremia was significantly higher only in serum samples positive for PPV1 and PPV7 compared to samples negative for these PPVs. Moreover, the correlation between Ct values for PPV7 and PCV2 was observed. Thus, our results suggested that apart from PPV1, also PPV7 stimulate the replication of PCV2., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Frailty models have been developed to quantify both heterogeneity as well as association in multivariate time-to-event data. In recent years, numerous shared and correlated frailty models have been proposed in the survival literature allowing for different association structures and frailty distributions. A bivariate correlated gamma frailty model with an additive decomposition of the frailty variables into a sum of independent gamma components was introduced before. Although this model has a very convenient closed-form representation for the bivariate survival function, the correlation among event- or subject-specific frailties is bounded above which becomes a severe limitation when the values of the two frailty variances differ substantially. In this article, we review existing correlated gamma frailty models and propose novel ones based on bivariate gamma frailty distributions. Such models are found to be useful for the analysis of bivariate survival time data regardless of the censoring type involved. The frailty methodology was applied to right-censored and left-truncated Danish twins mortality data and serological survey current status data on varicella zoster virus and parvovirus B19 infections in Belgium. From our analyses, it has been shown that fitting more flexible correlated gamma frailty models in terms of the imposed association and correlation structure outperforms existing frailty models including the one with an additive decomposition.

Porcine bocavirus (PBoV), which belongs the genus Bocaparvovirus, has been identified throughout the world. However, serological methods for detecting anti-PBoV antibodies are presently limited. In the present study, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (PBoV-rNP1 ELISA) based on a recombinant form of nucleoprotein 1 (NP1) of PBoV was established for investigating the seroprevalence of PBoV in 2025 serum specimens collected in north-central China from 2016 to 2018, and 42.3% of the samples tested positive for anti-PBoV IgG antibodies, indicating that the seroprevalence of PBoV is high in pig populations in China.

After its first identification in 1978, canine parvovirus (CPV) has been recognized all around the world as a major threat for canine population health. This ssDNA virus is characterized by a high substitution rate and several genetic and phenotypic variants emerged over time. Overall, the definition of 3 main antigenic variants was established based on specific amino acid markers located in a precise capsid position. However, the detection of several minor variants and incongruence observed between the antigenic classification and phylogeny have posed doubts on the reliability of this scheme. At the same time, CPV heterogeneity has favored the hypothesis of a differential virulence among variants, although no robust and consistent demonstration has been provided yet. The present study rejects the antigenic variant concept and attempts to evaluate the association between CPV strain phylogeny, reconstructed using the whole information contained in the VP2 coding gene, and several clinical and hemato-biochemical parameters, assessed from 34 CPV infected dogs at admission. By using different statistical approaches, the results of the present study show an association between viral phylogeny and host parameters ascribable to immune system, coagulation profile, acute phase response and, more generally, to the overall picture of the animal response. Particularly, a strong and significant phylogenetic signal was proven for neutrophil count and WBC. Therefore, despite the limited sample size, a relation between viral phylogeny and disease severity has been observed for the first time, suggesting that CPV virulence is an inherited trait. The likely existence of clades with different virulence highlights once more the relevance of intensive epidemiological monitoring and research on CPV evolution to better understand the virulence determinants, their epidemiology and develop adequate countermeasures.

Background: In Poland, the leader in goose production in Europe, goose parovirus infection, or Derzsy's disease (DD), must be reported to the veterinary administration due to the serious economic and epizootic threat to waterfowl production. Prophylactic treatment for DD includes attenuated live or inactivated vaccines. Moreover, the control of DD includes the monitoring of maternal derived antibody (MDA) levels in the offspring and antibody titers in the parent flock after vaccination. The aim of this study was to develop an ELISA for the detection of goose parvovirus (GPV) antibodies., Results: Two recombinant protein fragments derived from VP3 (viral protein 3) GPV, namely VP3ep6 and VP3ep4-6 with a mass of 20.9 and 32.3 kDa, respectively, were produced using an Escherichia coli expression system. These proteins were purified by one-step nickel-affinity chromatography, which yielded protein preparations with a purity above 95%. These recombinant proteins were useful in the detection of serum anti-GPV antibodies, and this was confirmed by Western blotting. However, recombinant VP3ep4-6 protein showed a greater ability to correctly identify sera from infected geese. In the next stage of the project, a pool of 166 goose sera samples, previously examined by a virus neutralization test (VN), was tested. For further studies, one recombinant protein (VP3ep4-6) was selected for optimization of the test conditions. After optimization, the newly developed ELISA was compared to other serological tests, and demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity., Conclusion: In conclusion, the VP3ep4-6 ELISA method described here can be used for the detection of antibodies to GPV in serum.

Background: Parvovirus B19 (B19V) can cause severe anemia, hydrops foetalis, and even death in vulnerable patients. To prevent transfusion-transmitted B19V infection of at-risk patients, B19V antibody screening of blood donors was implemented. The cost-effectiveness of this intervention is unclear, as the likelihood of transmission through blood and subsequent complications for recipients are unknown. This study estimates the cost-effectiveness of anti-B19V donor screening in the Netherlands., Study Design and Methods: The estimates needed for the cost-effectiveness model were: the occurrence of B19V in Dutch blood donors, the number of anti-B19V tested products required by hospitals, the likelihood of morbidity and mortality given B19V infection, treatment costs, and screening costs. These estimates were obtained from literature and observational data. When data were unavailable, structured expert judgment elicitation and statistical modeling were applied., Results: The costs of preventing one transfusion transmitted B19V infection are estimated at €68,942 (€42,045 - €102,080). On average, 1.25 cases of morbidity and 0.12 cases of mortality are prevented annually. Although the perceived risk of transfusion transmitted B19V infection was low, half of the treating physicians favored anti-B19V screening., Conclusion: The estimated mortality and morbidity caused by B19V infection was low in the risk groups. The cost-effectiveness ratio is similar to other blood safety screening measures. No guidance exists to evaluate the acceptability of this ratio. The explicit overview of costs and effects may further guide the discussion of the desirability of B19V safe blood products., (© 2019 AABB.)

Parvovirus B19 (B19V) transmission may occur through blood transfusion as a result of asymptomatic viral persistence in blood donors. Our study evaluated the prevalence and viral load of B19V in blood donors from Brasilia, Federal District, Central-West Brazil. B19V DNA detection and quantification were performed in 477 blood donors. The positive samples were also tested for anti-B19V IgG and haemoderivative recipients were investigated for adverse effects following transfusion. B19V DNA prevalence was 0.21  % (n=1/477). The positive B19V DNA sample was also anti-B19 IgG-positive (probably persistent infection). The viral load was low and no adverse effects following blood transfusion were registered in the recipients. This study demonstrated that the B19V DNA prevalence in blood donors from Central-West Brazil is low. Nevertheless, the mere presence of B19V DNA in blood donors strengthens the need for viral molecular screening, especially in haemoderivatives that that will go to susceptible recipients.

Serological assays detecting antibodies in serum or plasma samples are useful and versatile instruments to investigate an individual's infection and vaccination history, e.g. for clinical diagnosis, personal risk evaluation, and seroepidemiological studies. Multiplex Serology is a suspension bead array-based high-throughput methodology for simultaneous measurement of antibodies against multiple pathogens in a single reaction vessel, thus economizing sample volume, measurement time, and costs. We developed and validated bead-based pathogen-specific Monoplex Serology assays, i.e. assays including only antigens for the respective pathogen, to detect antibodies against Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Clostridium tetani toxins, rubella virus and parvovirus B19. The developed assays expand the portfolio of existing pathogen-specific bead-based serology assays and can be efficiently incorporated into larger Multiplex Serology panels. The newly developed Monoplex Serology assays consist of only one antigen per infectious agent, expressed as Glutathione S-transferase-fusion proteins in E. coli. Specificity, sensitivity and Cohen's kappa statistics in comparison with routine clinical diagnostic assays were calculated for serum dilutions 1:100 and 1:1000. All pathogen-specific assays were successfully validated at both serum dilutions with the exception of rubella Monoplex Serology which showed impaired sensitivity (57.6%) at dilution 1:1000. Specificities of successfully validated Monoplex Serology assays ranged from 85.6% to 100.0% (median: 91.7%), and sensitivities from 81.3% to 95.8% (median: 90.9%); agreement with the reference assays ranged from substantial to almost perfect (kappa: 0.66-0.86, median: 0.78). Statistical performance and slim assay design enable efficient incorporation of the developed assays into Multiplex Serology., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Laboratory-prepared inactivated porcine parvovirus (PPV) vaccines and VP2 virus-like particles (VLPs) were utilized to immunize gilts. PPV BQ strain and SP2/0 cells were used. Hemagglutination-inhibiting (HI) antibody titers were measured in the immunized gilts and the differences in cytokine production of interferon gamma (IFN-γ, IL-2 and IL-4) were compared. CD4 + and CD8 + T cells proliferation were compared by flow cytometry. The variation between the immune response level induced by inactivated PPV vaccine and VP2 VLPs were determined. The results showed that all vaccinated gilts had HI antibody titers reaching 1:256 for at least one month post immunization and the peak level of antibody could be sustained for one month; further, PPV antibodies could be detected in the second week post immunization with VP2 VLPs. We also found that the level of cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-2 and IL-4) were all increased post immunization and continued to rise after the booster immunization; the level of increase in IFN-γ and IL-2 were significantly higher than IL-4. The flow cytometry results showed that the numbers of the CD4+ and CD8+ T cells subsets were significantly higher in the groups immunized with inactivated PPV vaccine or VP2 VLPs than those of negative control group (p<0.01); additionally, the number of CD4 + cells in the gilts that received VP2 VLP immunization was significantly higher than the inactivated vaccine group (p<0.01). In summary, the inactivated PPV vaccine and PPV VP2 VLPs were both able to induce humoral and cellular immunity, but the VP2 VLPs lead to better cellular immune responses in gilts compared to those of the inactivated vaccine..

Seasonal outbreaks of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) at Gorakhpur, India have been recognized since 2006. So far, the causative agent has not been identified. Use of next generation sequencing identified human parvovirus 4 (HPARV4) sequences in a CSF/plasma pool. These sequences showed highest identity with sequences earlier identified in similar patients from south India. Real-time PCR detected HPARV4 DNA in 20/78 (25.6%) CSF and 6/31 (19.3%) plasma of AES patients. Phylogenetic analysis classified three almost complete genomes and 24 partial NS1 sequences as genotype 2A. The observed association of HPARV4 with AES needs further evaluation. ELISAs for the detection of IgM and IgG antibodies against scrub typhus (Orientia tsutsugamushi, OT) showed ∼70% IgM/IgG positivity suggestive of etiologic association. Prospective, comprehensive studies are needed to confirm association of these agents, singly or in combination with AES in Gorakhpur region.

Bocaparvovirus infections of humans and both wild and domestic animals have been widely reported around the world. In this study, we detected and genetically characterized porcine bocavirus (PBoV) carried by murine rodents (Rattus norvegicus, Rattus tanezumi, and Rattus losea) and house shrews (Suncus murinus) in China. Between May 2015 and May 2017, 496 murine rodents and 23 house shrews were captured in four Chinese provinces. Nested polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate the prevalence of PBoV in throat swab, faecal and serum samples. A total of 7.5% (39/519) throat swab samples, 60.5% (309/511) faecal samples, and 22.9% (52/227) serum samples were PBoV-positive. The prevalence among R. norvegicus and R. tanezumi was higher than that among R. losea and house shrews. PBoV-positive samples were found in all four provinces. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial viral capsid protein 1/2 (VP1/VP2) showed that sequences obtained in this study formed a novel group (PBoV G4). In addition, five near full-length PBoV genomes (4,715-4,798 nt) were acquired. These genomes encoded two non-structural proteins, NS1 (1,908 nt in four genomes and 1,923 nt in the remaining genome) and NP1 (600 nt), and the structural proteins, VP1/VP2 (1,851 nt). Phylogenetic analysis showed that PBoV G4 is distinct from rodent, human, and other bocaviruses. In conclusion, PBoV G4 prevalence was high among two common murine rodents in China, and the pathogenecity of PBoV G4 need to be further clarified., (© 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Backgroud: Primate erythroparvovirus 1 (B19V) is a globally ubiquitous DNA virus. Infection results in a variety of clinical presentations including erythema infectiosum in children and arthralgia in adults. There is limited understanding of the seroprevalence of B19V antibodies in the Australian population and therefore of population-wide immunity. This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of B19V antibodies in an Australian blood donor cohort, along with a cohort from a paediatric population., Methods: Age/sex/geographical location stratified plasma samples (n = 2221) were collected from Australian blood donors. Samples were also sourced from paediatric patients (n = 223) in Queensland. All samples were screened for B19V IgG using an indirect- enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay., Results: Overall, 57.90% (95% CI: 55.94%-59.85%) of samples tested positive for B19V IgG, with the national age-standardized seroprevalence of B19V exposure in Australians aged 0 to 79 years estimated to be 54.41%. Increasing age (p < 0.001) and state of residence (p < 0.001) were independently associated with B19V exposure in blood donors, with the highest rates in donors from Tasmania (71.88%, 95% CI: 66.95%-76.80%) and donors aged 65-80 years (78.41%, 95% CI: 74.11%-82.71%). A seroprevalence of 52.04% (95% CI: 47.92%-56.15%) was reported in women of child-bearing age (16 to 44 years). Sex was not associated with exposure in blood donors (p = 0.547) or in children (p = 0.261) screened in this study., Conclusions: This study highlights a clear association between B19V exposure and increasing age, with over half of the Australian population likely to be immune to this virus. Differences in seroprevalence were also observed in donors residing in different states, with a higher prevalence reported in those from the southern states. The finding is consistent with previous studies, with higher rates observed in countries with a higher latitude. This study provides much needed insight into the prevalence of B19V exposure in the Australian population, which has implications for public health as well as transfusion and transplantation safety in Australia.

With the increase of blood transfusion in veterinary medicine, the presence of endemic viral agents in the blood should be carefully investigated. For this reason, the blood of feline and canine blood donors was screened to detect the presence of herpesviruses, especially gammaherpesviruses and parvoviruses, and to characterize the viruses detected. A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed on 31 cats and 54 dogs, enrolled as voluntary blood donors. Nested PCR was carried out to detect herpesvirus and parvovirus DNA. Sequencing and real-time PCR were used to confirm and quantify positive samples. The feline and canine samples were negative for the presence of herpesviruses. Fourteen specimens of blood (45.16%, 95% confidence interval, CI: 27.78-63.70) from feline blood donors and two (3.7%, 95% CI: 0.64-13.84) from canine blood donors were positive for parvovirus DNA. The percentage positivity was significantly different in cats and dogs (P < 0.0001), giving an odds ratio of 21.41 (95% CI: 4.4-103.9). The lack of detection of herpesviral DNA confirms previous results obtained in dogs, but contrasts with the evidence of the worldwide distribution of gammaherpesviruses in cats. Selection of blood donors is a useful tool adopted to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections for the majority of known microorganisms. The results obtained for parvovirus, however, confirm the presence of this pathogen in the blood of healthy cats, with a significant difference from dogs. The implications of the detection of parvoviral DNA in the blood of donors must be clarified in order to exclude the risk of transmission., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics of acquired pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) patients diagnosed in our hospital in the last 10 years., Method: The clinical features, immune state and treatment response of acquired PRCA patients diagnosed in our hospital from January 2007 to January 2017 were retrospectively analyzed., Results: The results showed that thymoma (13.21%) and parvovirus B19 (11.32%) were the most common causes for secondary PRCA. Ferritin (Fer) levels and erythropoietin (EPO) levels were increased in PRCA patients. The total CR and PR rate of immunosuppressive therapy in our studies was 68.29% and 12.20%, respectively. Patients with EPO level >400 U/L and Fer level >200 ng/ml had significantly lower CR rate than others. The patients with EPO level >400 U/L also had longer hemoglobin recovery time than patients with EPO level ≤400 U/L. Patients treated with corticosteroids (CS) + cyclosporine A (CsA) had lower relapse rate compared to the CS group (29.17% vs. 80.00%, P < .05)., Conclusion: Our data showed that patients with PRCA had high EPO and Fer levels. Thymoma and viral infections are the most common causes for secondary PRCA. The CS+ CsA group had lower relapse rate than CS group although response rate was similar. Increased EPO and Fer levels might be the negative factors for prognosis of acquired PRCA.

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is the leading viral cause of enteritis in dogs and occurs mainly in 6- to 8-week-old pups. Rapid diagnosis of CPV under field conditions is now possible due to commercially available immunochromatographic (IC) assays. However, these commercial kits are somewhat expensive because they utilize a minimum of two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting different epitopes as capture and detector antibodies. Using only a single mAb for both capture and detection purpose may reduce the sensitivity of the assay. In the present study, efforts were made to develop an economical assay that can be utilized for diagnosis of CPV under Indian conditions with a high level of confidence. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) generated against recombinant truncated VP2 proteins of CPV were used as capture antibodies because they can be produced economically, while a commercial anti-CPV mAb was used as the detector antibody. The detection limit of the test strip was 6.6×10 5 TCID 50 /ml, and it specifically detected CPV-2, CPV-2a and CPV-2b while displaying no cross-reactivity with other common canine enteric pathogens. The relative sensitivity/specificity of pAb based strip test was 71%/92% and 71%/100% in relation to the hemagglutination test and a commercial IC kit, respectively, with substantial agreement. In addition, two commercially available mAbs targeting different epitopes were also used for development of another IC assay, which showed sensitivity, and specificity of 82%/87% and 90%/98% in relation to the hemagglutination test and commercial kit. Hence, the present strip test based on a combination of mAb and pAb provides an acceptable alternative for onsite and cost-effective diagnosis of CPV infection.

Background: Infection with Parvovirus B19 (B19V), Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Herpes Simplex Virus-1/2 (HSV-1/2) may cause fetal loses including spontaneous abortion, intrauterine fetal death and non-immune hydrops fetalis. Few comprehensive studies have investigated first-trimester spontaneous abortions caused by virus infections in Chongqing, China. Our study intends to investigate the infection of B19V, CMV and HSV-1/2 in first-trimester spontaneous abortions and the corresponding immune response., Methods: 100 abortion patients aged from 17 to 47 years were included in our study. The plasma samples (100) were analyzed qualitatively for specific IgG/IgM for B19V, CMV and HSV-1/2 (Virion\Serion, Germany) according to the manufacturer's recommendations. B19V, CMV and HSV-1/2 DNA were quantification by Real-Time PCR., Results: No specimens were positive for B19V, CMV, and HSV-1/2 DNA. By serology, 30.0%, 95.0%, 92.0% of patients were positive for B19V, CMV and HSV-1/2 IgG respectively, while 2% and 1% for B19V and HSV-1/2 IgM., Conclusion: The low rate of virus DNA and a high proportion of CMV and HSV-1/2 IgG for most major of abortion patients in this study suggest that B19V, CMV and HSV-1/2 may not be the common factor leading to the spontaneous abortion of early pregnancy.

Background: Parvovirus B19 is a common viral infection in children. Nearby evidences are present about its association with acute leukemia, especially acute lymphoblast leukemia. Nevertheless, scanty reports have discussed any role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Purpose: To evaluate the frequency of virological markers of B19 infection including its DNA along with specific immunoglobulins G (IgG) and M (IgM) among children with newly diagnosed AML. Besides, describing the clinical importance of Parvovirus B19 infection in those patients. Patients and methods: A case-control retrospective study was conducted on 48 children recently diagnosed with AML before and during chemotherapy induction and 60 healthy control. Specific serum IgM and IgG levels were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and DNA detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Parvovirus DNA was detected in 20 patients with AML. IgM was found in sera of four patients and one case had positive DNA and IgG (5%). Patients with recent parvovirus B19 infection had a significantly reduced hemoglobin levels, RBCs counts, platelet counts, neutrophil counts and absolute lymphocytosis (p=0.01, p=0.0001, p=0.01, p=0.02, p=0.0003, respectively). There were no clinical findings with statistically significant association to recent infection. Half of the patients with AML had positive PCR and/or IgM for parvovirus B19. Among children with AML under chemotherapy, there were reduced hemoglobin levels (P=0.03), reduced platelet counts (P=0.0001) and absolute neutropenia (mean±SD, 1.200 ±1.00) in those with parvovirus B19 infection. More than half of patients with parvovirus B19 (72.2%) had positive PCR and/or IgM and 36.4% of them had positive IgG. Conclusion: This study highlights that parvovirus B19 is common in children with AML either at diagnosis or under chemotherapy. There are no clinical manifestations that can be used as markers for its presence, but hematological laboratory findings can provide evidence for infection in the presence of anemia and neutropenia. Detection of parvovirus B19 by combined molecular and serological markers is required in such patients for accurate diagnosis., (Creative Commons Attribution License)

Objective: To describe procedure-related complications and perinatal survival after intrauterine transfusion (IUT) before 20 weeks of gestation in fetuses with severe anemia due to human parvovirus B19 infection., Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of all fetuses requiring IUT before 20 weeks of gestation in two tertiary referral centers between January 2002 and July 2015. Gestational age (GA) at first IUT, fetal blood sampling results, and presence of hydrops were related to procedure-related complications, fetal death (FD), and perinatal outcome., Results: A total of 93 IUTs was performed on 55 fetuses. The mean GA at first IUT was 16+6 (13+0-19+6) weeks. FD occurred in 11 (20.0%) of the 55 fetuses. Overall survival was 80.0% (44/55). Hydrops was present in 38.2% (21/55) and was strongly associated with FD (p = 0.001). There was no difference with regard to FD, hydrops, or hemoglobin concentration at first IUT in fetuses with transfusion before or after 16+0 weeks., Conclusion: Severe anemia due to parvovirus B19 infection in the early second trimester can be treated successfully by IUT before 20 weeks of gestation in specialized centers with sufficient expertise., (© 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of the adeno-associated virus (AAV) in murine rodents and house shrews in 4 provinces of China., Methods: A total of 469 murine rodents and 19 house shrews were captured between May 2015 and May 2017. Cap gene of AAV sequences was obtained to evaluate the genetic characteristics of rat AAV., Results: Rat AAVs were found in 54.7% (267/488) of throat swabs, 14.3% (70/488) of fecal samples, and 18.4% (41/223) of serum samples. Rat AAVs were detected in 3 species of murine rodents including Rattus norvegicus (34.8%), R. tanezumi (43.0%), and R. losea (2.3%), and house shrews (Suncus murinus) (26.1%) from the selected sampling sites. Fourteen near-full-length Cap gene sequences, ranging in length from 2,156 to 2,169 nt, were isolated from the fecal samples of R. norvegicus and R. tanezumi. These 14 sequences shared a high identity of 97.4% at the nucleotide level and 99.1% at the amino acid level. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the rat AAV formed a distinct clade, distinguishable from the AAV discovered in humans and in other animals., Conclusions: A high prevalence of rat AAV that was highly conserved within the Cap gene was found in 3 common murine rodents and house shrews in China., (© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.)