Low seroprevalence of parvovirus B19 in Taiwanese children and young adults

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of parvovirus B19 antibodies in children and young adults aged=30 years old in Taiwan.

Methods: Stored serum samples from healthy volunteers aged 1-29 years in Taipei were randomly selected and tested for antiparvovirus B19 immunoglobulin G by enzyme immunoassay.

Results: A total of 277 serum samples were tested. The overall seroprevalence of parvovirus B19 in Taiwanese children and young adults was 23.1% (64/277) in 2004. The positive rate increased slightly with age; it ranged from 15.0% in those aged 1-4 years to 30.8% in those aged 25-29 years (trend test, p=0.01). The age-adjusted anti-B19 immunoglobulin G seropositive rate was slightly higher in males (27.8%) than in females (18.8%; adjusted odds ratio: 0.56; 95% confidence interval: 0.32-0.99).

Conclusion: Most children and young adults in Taipei City are not immune to parvovirus B19, suggesting that no parvovirus B19 epidemic has occurred in the last few decades.