Parvovirus B19
human virus
Parvovirus B19 (also called B19 virus (B19V), Human parvovirus B19, or sometimes erythrovirus B19) is a human virus most known for causing disease in children, though it can also affect adults. It is the classic cause of the childhood rash called fifth disease or erythema infectiosum. The virus's name is derived from Latin parvum, meaning 'small', as B19 ranks among the smallest DNA viruses, measuring only 23–26 nm in diameter. The virus was discovered by chance in 1975 by Australian virologist Yvonne Cossart. The name B19 originated from the coding of a serum sample, number 19 in panel B.
Virology
Erythroviruses belong to the Parvoviridae family of small DNA viruses. It is in the genus Erythroparvovirus and assigned to the species Erythroparvovirus primate1. Human parvovirus B19 is a non-enveloped, icosahedral virus that contains a single-stranded linear DNA genome of approximately 5,600 base pairs in length. B19V's nonenveloped viral particles are ~22 to 24 nm in diameter which are quite small compared to other parvoviruses. The infectious particles may contain either positive or negative strands of DNA. The icosahedral capsid consists of 60 capsomeres, consisting of two structural proteins, VP1 (83 kDa) and VP2 (58 kDa), which are identical except for 227 amino acids at the amino-terminal of the VP1-protein, the so-called VP1-unique region. VP2 is the major capsid protein, and comprises approximately 95% of the total virus particle.
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