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An outbreak of erythema infectiosum associated with human parvovirus infection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2009

M. J. Anderson
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8RX
E. Lewis
Affiliation:
Public Health Laboratory Service, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ
I. M. Kidd
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Microbiology, King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8RX
S. M. Hall
Affiliation:
Public Health Laboratory Service, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ
B. J. Cohen
Affiliation:
Public Health Laboratory Service, Virus Reference Laboratory, Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5HT
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Summary

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Erythema infectiosum (EI) or fifth disease is a mild, acute exanthematous disease, occurring mainly among children, for which a causative virus has long been sought. In May 1983 an outbreak of exanthematous illness was reported in a primary school in North London. Children attending the school were investigated by questionnaire and 162 (43·9%) reported an illness with the features of EI. In each of 36 cases investigated virologically the illness was associated with parvovirus infection. Moreoever, pre-existing antibody to parvovirus was correlated with protection from EI in 16 of 17 close family contacts of cases. We propose therefore that EI is the common manifestation of infection with the human parvovirus.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

References

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