Genetic variants of parvovirus B19 identified in the United Kingdom: Implications for diagnostic testing

Background: Discrepant results in diagnostic parvovirus B19 PCR assays have been observed with strains showing nucleotide sequence variation. Objectives and study design: To perform phylogenetic analysis on two parvovirus B 19 strains that gave discrepant PCR results. Results: One strain was found to be genotype 2; the second strain was genotype 3. Conclusions: Parvovirus B19 genotypes 2 and 3 strains were identified in diagnostic samples of UK origin following the investigation of discrepant PCR results. More structured investigations are needed to estimate the prevalence of these variants. In the meantime, diagnostic PCR results should be interpreted cautiously when they are at variance with serological testing. Manufacturers of PCR kits for the detection of B 19 sequences will need to consider re-designing their primers. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.