The Seroprevalence of Parvovirus B19 at the Laboratory of Virology of IBN Sina Rabat University Hospital

Abstract

Parvovirus B19 (PVB19) is a DNA virus whose main tropism is erythroid precursors, it is responsible for infections that can be life-threatening in fetuses and immunocompromised individuals. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Parvovirus B19 in a Moroccan population. We conducted a retrospective study between March 2019 and July 2022 at the Central Laboratory of Virology of Ibn Sina University Hospital of Rabat. All included samples were qualitatively tested for parvovirus B19 anti-VP2 IgG by ELISA on the Chorus analyzer (Diesse diagnostic). Of the 343 patients included, 181 (53%) were women. 165 (48%) were adults with an average age of 45 years [17 - 89], while 178 (52%) were children with an average age of 6 years [0.7 - 16]. Anti-PVB19 IgG were positive in 166 patients, giving an overall seroprevalence of 48.4%. The latter was significantly higher in adults (63.1% vs. 34.8%; p= <0.001) and increased significantly with age, from 32.5% in children aged [7 months to 5 years], to 65.1% in patients over 35 years (p= <0.001). Gender had no impact on seroprevalence. Our study showed an overall seroprevalence of parvovirus B19 of 48.4%. Seroprevalence increased significantly with age, which aligns with the findings in the literature. No previous data in Morocco.