Human parvovirus aplasia: Case due to cross infection in a ward

Abstract

Infection with human parvovirus is an important cause of aplastic crises in patients with sickle cell anaemia. Recently the virus has been implicated in aplastic crises in hereditary spherocytosis and pyruvate kinase deficiency. Epidemiological studies suggest that the virus causes an illness with an incubation period of about nine days, resulting in suppression of erythropoiesis for five to 10 days. We report two cases of human parvovirus aplasia presenting in North London in which the infection was probably transmitted within a hospital ward and examine the implications of this finding.