A significant age shift of the human parvovirus B19 antibody prevalence among young adults in Japan observed in a decade.

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.