title: A significant age shift of the human parvovirus B19 antibody prevalence among young adults in Japan observed in a decade.
abstract: A seroepidemiological study on human parvovirus (B19) in Japan was undertaken with serum samples randomly collected from healthy Japanese populations (416 in 1973, 675 in 1984 and 508 in 1987/88). All samples were tested for anti-B19 IgG antibody by the indirect antigen-capture ELISA. The antibody prevalence for ages 0-9 years old in 1984 was significantly higher (16%) than that in 1973 (2%), whereas those for ages 20-29 years and 30-39 years were significantly lower in 1984 (20% and 56%) than in 1973 (67% and 80%) (p < 0.005). After the erythema infectiosum (EI) outbreak in 1986/87, the antibody prevalences for ages 5-9, 10-14 and 15-19 years were 40-85% in Fukuoka, 0-10% in Gunma, and 21-41% in Chiba reflecting each EI incidence in these three prefectures, whereas those for ages 20-29 years remained low (< 20%). These data indicate that B19 virus was transmitted mainly among children and no significant incidence of B19 virus infection in adults has occurred since 1973, resulting in a notable shifting of B19 susceptibility toward older ages including child-bearing females.
authors.affiliation: Central Virus Diagnostic Laboratory, National Institute of Health, Tokyo.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsunaga
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Taylor-Wiedeman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016731:Erythema Infectiosum / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D015995:Prevalence; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral