• Julie Kaufmann, Janet M Buccola, Wendy Stead, Christopher Rowley, Michael Wong, and Carol K Bates.
• Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, E/CC-6, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
• J Gen Intern Med. 2007 Jun 1; 22 (6): 877878877-8.

AbstractParvovirus B19 is a common infection in adults and children. There are reports of secondary parvovirus infection in immunocompromised persons, but no reports of symptomatic secondary infection in healthy persons. We describe a healthy 39-year-old woman who presented with fever, rash, and arthralgia. Her symptoms were thought most compatible with parvovirus B19 infection, but she reported prior positive parvovirus antibody 2 years earlier during prenatal care. Tests were therefore also sent for HIV, streptococcal infection, hepatitis C, and Lyme disease. Testing revealed both elevated IgG and IgM antibodies for parvovirus B19; previously, the patient was positive only for IgG. On a subsequent visit she related that a community outbreak of parvovirus developed in her town and church group. We believe this case demonstrates that a symptomatic secondary infection with parvovirus can occur in healthy persons, and that prior positive antibody test does not preclude the development of acute infection.

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