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Objectives <p>Implemented public health measures to avoid the spread of SARS-CoV-2, influenced the circulation of various viral infections including parvovirus B19. Notably, pregnancies affected by parvovirus B19 have a high risk for severe fetal anemia and fetal demise. This study evaluates changes in parvovirus infection rates after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.</p> Methods <p>This was a retrospective cohort-study assessing the prevalence of parvovirus B19 among pregnant women at a tertiary referral center in Austria from January 2013 to December 2023 with particular interest in the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on infection rates of parvovirus B19. Women who had PCR testing for parvovirus due to suspicion of infection were included in this study. To compare infection rates before, during, and after the pandemic, three study groups were defined in concordance with Austrian public health measures: A pre-pandemic group (Group 1) including all pregnant women who tested for parvovirus B19 from January 2013 to the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, a pandemic group (Group 2) including all patients who had PCR testing during the COVID-19 lockdown and a post-pandemic group (Group 3) including all patients who had PCR testing from the end of the pandemic in April 2023 to December 2023.</p> Results <p>A total of 251 pregnant women who had PCR testing for parvovirus B19 during the study period were identified, including 27 women with a positive test result. In the pre-pandemic group (<i>n</i> = 141) 14 women had a positive test result, in the pandemic group (<i>n</i> = 83) 3 women tested positive and in the post-pandemic group (<i>n</i> = 27) 10 women tested positive. The overall prevalence of parvovirus B19 was 0.108, and annually, it varies from 0.000 in 2021 to 0.355 in 2023. Considering the predefined study groups, the highest prevalence was demonstrated in the post-pandemic group (0.370), whereas the lowest was in the pandemic group (0.036). In the pre-pandemic group, the prevalence was 0.099. Prevalence of the predefined study groups differed significantly (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.001).</p> Conclusion <p>This study demonstrates a significant rise of parvovirus B19 infections among pregnant women after the COVID-19 pandemic indicating a major impact of the pandemic and associated public health measures on parvovirus B19 infection rates.</p>

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Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parvovirus B19 infection rates in pregnancy: is there a post-pandemic epidemic?

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年4月28日

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  • Christina Haberl,
  • Nawa Schirwani-Hartl,
  • Pilar Palmrich,
  • Valentina Oblin,
  • Florian Heinzl,
  • Nicole Perkmann-Nagele,
  • Julia Binder

摘要

Objectives

Implemented public health measures to avoid the spread of SARS-CoV-2, influenced the circulation of various viral infections including parvovirus B19. Notably, pregnancies affected by parvovirus B19 have a high risk for severe fetal anemia and fetal demise. This study evaluates changes in parvovirus infection rates after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort-study assessing the prevalence of parvovirus B19 among pregnant women at a tertiary referral center in Austria from January 2013 to December 2023 with particular interest in the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on infection rates of parvovirus B19. Women who had PCR testing for parvovirus due to suspicion of infection were included in this study. To compare infection rates before, during, and after the pandemic, three study groups were defined in concordance with Austrian public health measures: A pre-pandemic group (Group 1) including all pregnant women who tested for parvovirus B19 from January 2013 to the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, a pandemic group (Group 2) including all patients who had PCR testing during the COVID-19 lockdown and a post-pandemic group (Group 3) including all patients who had PCR testing from the end of the pandemic in April 2023 to December 2023.

Results

A total of 251 pregnant women who had PCR testing for parvovirus B19 during the study period were identified, including 27 women with a positive test result. In the pre-pandemic group (n = 141) 14 women had a positive test result, in the pandemic group (n = 83) 3 women tested positive and in the post-pandemic group (n = 27) 10 women tested positive. The overall prevalence of parvovirus B19 was 0.108, and annually, it varies from 0.000 in 2021 to 0.355 in 2023. Considering the predefined study groups, the highest prevalence was demonstrated in the post-pandemic group (0.370), whereas the lowest was in the pandemic group (0.036). In the pre-pandemic group, the prevalence was 0.099. Prevalence of the predefined study groups differed significantly (p ≤ 0.001).

Conclusion

This study demonstrates a significant rise of parvovirus B19 infections among pregnant women after the COVID-19 pandemic indicating a major impact of the pandemic and associated public health measures on parvovirus B19 infection rates.