Seroprevalence of parvovirus B19 antibodies among young pregnant women or planning pregnancy, tested for toxoplasmosis.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Acute parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection is a proven risk for pregnant women and fetus. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of B19V antibodies among pregnant women or planning pregnancy, who were referred for preventive toxoplasmosis screening.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 2007-2010, 55 women in the age between 21 and 40 years were tested for both B19V IgG and IgM antibodies and sociodemographic information was collected.

RESULTS: Among the study group, the mean age was 30 years, 43.6% of women were positive only for B19V IgG antibodies, 9% were positive for both B19V IgG and IgM antibodies and 11% were positive only for B19V IgM antibodies. Women negative for B19 IgG antibodies (47.3%) were considered as a high-risk group of B19V viremia. The serological profile indicating infection with Toxoplasma gondii was considered as a risk factor for fetal distress. The T. gondii IgG antibodies were detected in 51% cases, in 32.7% antibodies were positive for both IgG and IgM, while in 16.3% cases both IgG and IgM were negative.

CONCLUSIONS: B19V infection and overlapping of other independent risk factors during pregnancy pose a significant hazard to fetus during development. Therefore, we recommend further broadening the epidemiological database of B19V infection prevalence among women. B19V infection should be taken into account during differential diagnosis as a cause of miscarriage.