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Introduction: parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection during pregnancy can be transmitted to the fetus and cause serious complications such as fetal hydrops and stillbirth. The preexistence of specific IgG prevents vertical transmission. Seroprevalence in fertile age is variable (50-70%) and depends on the region/viral circulation, in addition to factors such as maternal age and frequent exposure to children., Objectives: to determine seroprevalence for B19V in pregnant women at Hospital Universitario de Maternidad y Neonatología (HUMN), analyze its association with predictive factors and describe cases of B19V infection., Methods: observational, cross-sectional study. Patients treated at HUMN during 2021-2022 were included and compatible demographic and clinical data were recorded. Specific IgG was quantified and its association with predictive factors was analyzed by bivariate analysis (p<0.05). In cases with signs/symptoms associated with B19V, specific IgM and viral DNA were also determined. Results: 317 cases were studied and anti-B19V IgG was detected in 214/317 (67.5%). No association was found between seroprevalence and maternal age, multiparity, cohabitation with children under 15 years of age, or presence of maternal/fetal signs/symptoms. Ten cases (10.4%) of B19V infection were identified, all of them with anemia and one with fetal hydrops and VDRL+., Conclusion: in the population studied, B19V seroprevalence for was 67.5% and independent of the predictive factors, leaving 32.5% without evidence of exposure to the virus (susceptible to contracting the infection in the future). The detection of infection in symptomatic cases indicates the importance of investigating B19V in this group., (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba)

Background: Parvovirus B19 (B19 V) infection during pregnancy can cause adverse fetal outcomes. Our aim was to characterize both clinical and asymptomatic maternal and neonatal cases by studying virological and serological markers of B19 V infection, and to sequence the complete genome of the circulating virus in Argentina., Methods: Symptomatic patients were included based on maternal and/or fetal-neonatal signs attributable to B19 V infection during gestation. Pregnant patients were analyzed in either the timely diagnosis group (TD, samples obtained when symptoms were present and infection was suspected) or the retrospective diagnosis group (RD, samples collected immediately postpartum), and newborns were analyzed at birth. A sample of asymptomatic individuals was also analyzed. Diagnostic tests (PCR/qPCR/serology) and sequencing were performed on archived serum samples from 2018 to 2023, and clinical data were obtained from medical records., Results: We studied 328 symptomatic patients, including 185 pregnant patients (73 TD and 112 RD) and 143 newborns. Among them, we identified 27/328 (8.2 %) positive cases (B19V+): 12/73 (16.4 %) in the TD group, 6/112 (5.4 %) in the RD group, and 9/143 (6.3 %) newborns. Within the 77 mother-newborn pairs included, there were 8 (10.4 %) B19 V infections and 6 cases of vertical transmission. Additionally, B19 V infection was detected in 26/310 (8.4 %) asymptomatic patients. Phylogenetic analysis identified genotype 1a as a circulating strain in Argentina., Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need to raise awareness and enhance diagnostic approaches in Argentina to more effectively identify and manage B19 V infections during pregnancy in our region., 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 B.V.)