A highly contagious virus that can cause miscarriages is sweeping Britain – and COVID and endless lockdowns could be to blame.
MailOnline can reveal that levels of parvovirus B19 have reached their highest level in a decade among women of childbearing age in England.
The virus itself triggers the so-called slapped cheek syndrome, so nicknamed because of the characteristic rash it causes.
Although it is common and usually harmless in children, it can be more serious in adults, especially pregnant women.
According to the NHS, up to one in eight pregnancies affected by parvovirus ends in miscarriage. The risk is highest during the first 20 weeks.
The virus itself triggers “slapped cheek syndrome,” so nicknamed because of the distinctive rash it causes.
Tragically, some women have already lost babies as a result of the ongoing outbreak.
A woman detailing her experience on the forum moms online Earlier this year, she urged expectant mothers to take symptoms of the disease seriously.
“I came down with what I thought was the flu when I was about 12 weeks pregnant,” she wrote.
“It started with chills, fever and aches all over my body. Then it was followed by headaches and pain in my wrists and joints.
“I also threw up for a whole day, but I wondered if it was because of my morning sickness. Then I felt very post-viral for a few weeks.”
‘Only then did I wake up one morning with a bright red face (the rash indicates the end of the infection), which I had for a few days; it was hot and I felt like I had sunburned.’
When she sought help from her midwife, it turned out to be parvovirus and she was sent for urgent monitoring, with a heartbreaking result.
‘I went there for an ultrasound on Tuesday (I was 16 weeks pregnant) and found out the baby had died from contracting parvovirus.
“To have seen a healthy, active baby on my ultrasound at 12 and 13 weeks and to have a low-risk Harmony test and perfect nuchal ultrasounds, only to be told there was no heartbeat and fluid all over the baby has been beyond devastating.”
Although common and generally harmless in children, parvovirus can be more serious in adults, especially pregnant women. Sadly, some women have already lost babies as a result of the ongoing outbreak.
‘The most worrying thing was that the consultant said they normally see one case a year and that they had seen four cases in the last week.’
She concluded her post by saying that while she didn’t want to scare people, the issue needed to be taken seriously: “I just want to raise awareness because if it saves one baby’s life, it’s worth it.”
Parvovirus, which spreads like the flu, usually circulates during spring and early summer.
Outbreaks typically peak every four years, with the last major season occurring in 2018.
Another peak was therefore expected during the Covid pandemic.
Two-thirds of adults are thought to be immune to parvovirus because they have had it before and experienced mild flu-like symptoms.
But pandemic measures halted the spread of viruses such as parvovirus, weakening immunity in the population.
Parvovirus cases accelerated towards the end of 2023, outside the usual seasonal pattern.
This year, rates have soared: in June, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recorded more than 70 laboratory-confirmed cases. Levels have since declined.
For comparison, in 2018 monthly highs never exceeded 50.
Before that, the last major outbreak was in 2013, when cases exceeded 100.
Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading, said pandemic-era restrictions could have led to a similar surge in cases as the country saw with strep A.
Illustration of parvovirus B19 particles in the bloodstream. Two-thirds of adults are thought to be immune to the disease because they have contracted it and suffer only mild flu-like symptoms.
“The circulation of the virus in the population rises and falls over time and we are currently in an upward phase with figures as high as those seen in the last decade,” he said.
‘It’s worth noting that there were very few infections in the Covid years, so the number of people with naturally acquired immunity might be lower than it would normally be, leading to the high numbers we’re seeing.’
He added that parvovirus is what experts call a “background” infection that people typically get as children and then gain lifelong immunity to.
While it is usually mild even in later stages of life, he added that at-risk groups such as pregnant women, due to the possible impact on the fetus, should be properly monitored if they contract it.
“Healthcare professionals should be aware that the virus is present so that testing can be carried out if one of the risk groups is suspected of being infected,” he said.
Dr Simon Clarke, a cellular microbiologist at Reading, added that while the base number of cases appears low, it was likely an underestimation of what was happening in the community and its potential impact on pregnant women.
‘Human parvovirus infection is usually asymptomatic, so we never have a complete picture of the extent to which it is circulating in the population at any given time,’ he said.
‘Although these figures are low, meaning small fluctuations in the number of infections can appear to be a more dramatic increase than they actually are, the risk of miscarriage means it should not be taken lightly.’
Like Professor Jones, he suspected that Covid lockdowns and other restrictions led to a restriction of transmission and it cannot be ruled out that there is now lower immunity among the population.
“Like Covid-19, human parvovirus relies on human-to-human spread and so it seems likely that Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions have also limited the spread of this virus and we may now be returning to a more normal pattern of infections,” he said.
‘Given the very low number of cases detected, it is not plausible to say with certainty that there has been a decline in overall population immunity levels to parvovirus, but that cannot be ruled out.’
Testing for parvovirus (which is easily confused with other rash-causing diseases, including rubella) is not uniform across the country.
Only expectant mothers who have been exposed to infected people or who have developed a rash are tested.
Pregnant women who are confirmed to be infected are closely monitored for three months with regular ultrasound scans to check the health of their baby.
There are currently no ways to treat the disease directly or prevent the baby from becoming infected.
Babies in the womb can suffer from fetal anemia as a result of parvovirus infection, and while this can sometimes be treated by transfusing special blood into the fetus, this procedure itself carries a risk of miscarriage.