Human Parvovirus B19 and Human Disease

Human Parvovirus B19 was discovered by Chance in 1974.The Virus is different from the other animal Parvovirus already Known todoy.Its average diameter is 23nm.It is a single-strand- ed DNA virus.After its discovery,it was neglected for many years because it often caused human la- tent infection.It has not been realized that B19 has relation to some human diseases untill the specific diagnostic methods for this virus are establishes.With the help of those methods,the scientists have got- ten some new knowledge about the causes of the disease which are not known previously.Now it is clear that B19 infection can give rise to the following health probemms:chronis hemolytic anemias,espe-cially sickle cell anemia developing into aplastic crises;erythema infectiosun and its complication-poly-arthralgias or arthritis;abortion,stillbirth and malformation.Respiratory tract is the most likely portal of entry.It can also be transmitted by blood and placenta.Because of the wide-range infection of B19and ther is a little difference about the properties of its epidemic amng various countries,so it is thought that the virus mayalso circulate in China.The auhors suggest that sonme investigation of the virus should carry out in China.