Volume 24, Number 2—February 2018
Etymologia
Etymologia: Parvovirus
Figure
Figure. This electron micrograph depicts a number of parvovirus H-1 virions of the Parvoviridae family of DNA viruses. Photo CDC/ R. Regnery; E. L. Palmer, 1981.
Viruses of the family Parvoviridae (Latin parvum [meaning small or tiny]) are among the smallest viruses described, 18–28 nm in diameter (Figure). There are 2 subfamilies of the family Parvoviridae: Parvovirinae and Densovirina (Latin denso [thick or compact]). Parvovirinae may infect humans, but Densovirina infect only arthropods (1). Structurally, these viruses are nonenveloped, icosahedral viruses that contain a single-stranded linear DNA genome (2,3).
The small size of these viruses might account for their late discovery. In 1974, the first pathogenic human parvovirus was discovered and named B19 from the coding of a serum sample, number 19 in panel B, that gave anomalous results during testing for hepatitis B (4). Although human B19 infections are more often asymptomatic or lead to mild rash illnesses and arthralgias, they can also cause severe anemia in fetuses and in persons with underlying hemoglobinopathies (5).
References
- Tattersall P, Cotmore SF. Parvoviruses. In: Topley WW, Wilson GS, editors. Topley & Wilson’s microbiology and microbial infections. Vol. 1, 10th ed. London: Hodder Arnold; 2005. p. 407−39.
- Pattison JR. B19 virus—a pathogenic human parvovirus. Blood Rev. 1987;1:58–64. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
- Servey JT, Reamy BV, Hodge J. Clinical presentations of parvovirus B19 infection. Am Fam Physician. 2007;75:373–6.PubMedGoogle Scholar
- Cossart YE, Field AM, Cant B, Widdows D. Parvovirus-like particles in human sera. Lancet. 1975;1:72–3. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
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Table of Contents – Volume 24, Number 2—February 2018
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Please use the form below to submit correspondence to the authors or contact them at the following address:
Eduardo Kaiser Ururahy Nunes Fonseca, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Rua Dr. Diogo de Faria, 1201 Apto 178, São Paulo 04037-004, Brazil
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