A new health alert was issued Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regarding a respiratory illness that is especially detected in young children.
In the last two years alone, the CDC has observed an uptick of parvovirus B19, which is a common illness that usually appears seasonally. The agency said the increase in infections has come most prominently in children between the ages of 5 and 9.
In June of this year, this age group’s percentage of positive cases was 40%, the CDC said. That’s a big increase from the 15% rate for the same age group between 2022 and earlier this year.
Doctors have sent reports to the CDC noting that they’ve observed a rise of infections in pregnant women, which surprised them. Some of these infections have led to severe fetal anemia, the CDC said, which ultimately required the patients to undergo transfusions.
Some even resulted in a miscarriage.
The CDC said that the virus is transmitted primarily through respiratory droplets. The agency added that it can spread quickly in environments where there are a lot of children, such as daycare facilities or schools.
Most of the cases of this virus typically happened late in the winter through the early summer. Every three or four years, there are “mini-outbreaks” of the virus that seem to occur, the CDC said.
Those who are infected with the illness typically experience only mild symptoms, which may include a sore throat, headache, pain in the joints, “slapped cheek” rash and/or fever.
The CDC added, though, that the virus could pose some serious health risks for anyone who has a chronic blood disorder such as sickle cell disease or whose immune system is compromised.
There is no vaccine for this virus.
In a release, the CDC explained:
“Most people require only supportive care during the acute phase of illness and will recover completely. Severe outcomes from parvovirus B19 disease, such as myocarditis, hepatitis or encephalitis, are rare.”
Still, because there has been an uptick in the number of cases of parvovirus B19, the CDC is urging all healthcare providers to be extra vigilant when they are diagnosing and also treating it, especially among groups who would be at high-risk for the virus and other effects.
The advisory that the CDC issued also encourages people to take some preventative measures, which includes practicing good hand hygiene. This could help to reduce how much the virus spreads, the agency said.
The increase in cases of this virus isn’t just happening in the United States. Earlier this year, 14 countries in Europe, including Germany, Spain and France, experienced an uptick in cases of parvovirus B19.
While it seems as though the situation isn’t dire just yet, it’s certainly something that’s serious enough to keep an eye on — even if most people who are infected with it only experience mild symptoms.
