Investigation of human parvovirus B19 infection in college students

Objective To investigate the prevalence of human parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection among college students, so as to provide reference for the development of blood donor screening strategies and blood supply policies. Methods From March 2023 to February 2024, blood donor samples from college students in Changchun were retrospectively analyzed using the principle of random numbers, with samples taken 1 to 3 days per month. B19V IgG/IgM were detected by ELISA, and B19V DNA and viral load were measured by real-time quantitative PCR. Results Among 1 456 blood donor samples from college students, the positive rates for B19V IgG, IgM and DNA were 11.54%, 0.34% and 2.68%, respectively. The viral load in 39 B19V DNA-positive samples ranged from 5.60×102 IU/mL to 9.10×106 IU/mL, with 28 samples (1.92%) having a viral load above 104 IU/mL. There were 11 samples (0.76%) that were positive for B19V DNA but negative for IgG/IgM. Conclusion The college students have a low prevalence of past B19V infection, but a higher risk of infections and a higer proportion of acute infections with high viral loads in individuals who are]B19V IgG negative, presenting a risk of transmission through blood transfusion. Targeted blood safety monitoring is necessary for college students to track the prevalence of B19V DNA.