Antiviral effect of Hydroxyurea on B19V replication

Parvovirus B19 (B19V), a human pathogenic ssDNA virus in the Parvoviridae family, is characterized by a strict tropism towards erythroid progenitor cells in bone marrow. Infections commonly induce self-limiting clinical manifestations, as erythema infectiosum in children and arthropathies mainly in adults, but, in subjects with underlying hematological disorders or with immune system deficits, the viral-induced arrest of erythropoiesis can lead to severe clinical manifestations requiring hospitalization and supportive transfusion or passive immunization treatments.