Parvovirus infections

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Parvovirus infections are an interesting challenge to the primary care physician, since the clinical syndromes vary so much with different patient populations. In normal children, infection is a benign process, and reassurance about the rash, which can persist for weeks, is appropriate. In adults, parvovirus infection is likely to produce joint symptoms that can persist for months. More serious outcomes are aplastic crisis in susceptible patients and fetal demise in pregnant women. Drs Smith and Ryan summarize these hazards of the virus.