FETAL ERYTHROPOIESIS AND HUMAN PARVOVIRUS B19 INFECTION

Target cells for the human parvovirus B19 include eythroid progenitors located in the bone marrow in adults and in the liver in fetuses of 12 to 30 weeks gestational age. The main manifestations of fetal parvovirus B19 infection seem to be related to lysis of the erythroid progenitors which causes non immune hydrops fetalis with severe anemia, congestive heart failure, generalized edema and death. The exact incidence of human parvovirus B19 infection during pregnancy remains unclear.