Occupational Risk of Human Parvovirus B19 Infection for School and Day-care Personnel During an Outbreak of Erythema Infectiosum

Human parvovirus B19, the cause of erythema infectiosum, has recently been associated with adverse fetal outcomes. During a large outbreak of erythema infectiosum in Connecticut, a survey was conducted on 571 (90%) of 634 school and day-care personnel to determine the risk of acquiring B19 infection. Serologic evidence of B19 infection was determined by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Of the school and day-care personnel, 58% had evidence of previous B19 infection. The minimal rate of B19 infection in susceptible personnel during the outbreak was 19%. The risk was increased for teachers and daycare providers who had contact with younger children and with greater numbers of ill children. These results suggest that B19 infection is an occupational risk for school and day-care personnel. ( JAMA . 1990;263:2061-2065)