A study of Parvovirus 4 in Iceland

• Main Author: Hanna Lilja Guðjónsdóttir 1982-
• Other Authors: Háskóli Íslands
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Líf- og læknavísindi; Veirur; Veirusjúkdómar; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/16279

Parvovirus 4 (Parv4) is a new virus in the Parvoviridae family, discovered in 2005 in blood from an IVDU. Parv4 and Parv4-like viruses from other primates and swine have been categorized together in a new genus, Partetravirus. Parv4 genotypes 1 and 2 have been detected in in the northern hemisphere while genotype 3 was discovered in Africa. In the northern hemisphere Parv4 DNA and Parv4 antibodies are found mostly in IVDUs and others who are parenterally exposed. In Africa Parv4 infection seems to be more widespread. The pathogenicity of Parv4 is unknown, but Parv4 has been linked to meningitis in children and hydrops fetalis. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence and route of distribution of Parv4 in Iceland, and to discover possible disease associations. Blood and NPS samples, from the Biobank of the Virology Department of the Landspitali- National University Hospital of Iceland, were screened for Parv4 DNA with PCR. Samples from nine different groups were collected: a control group, comprising blood donors and students, a STD group, comprising individuals that came to an STD clinic, a hepatitis group, comprising HCV and/or HBV infected individuals, and six smaller patient groups. Parv4 positive samples were subsequently sequenced and a phylogenetic tree drawn. Furthermore, longditutional samples from Parv4 positive Swedish IVDUs were screened for Parv4 DNA to explore the progression of Parv4 viremia. Parv4 DNA was only detected in the hepatitis group, 12 of 128 (9.4 %) indicating that Parv4 is only found in parenterally exposed individuals like IVDUs in Iceland and is distributed through the parenteral route there. The epidemiology of Parv4 in Iceland is the similar to Sweden and the rest of Europe, where Parv4 is mainly found among IVDUs and is transmitted parenterally. No evidence in this study was found to link Parv4 with disease. Seven Parv4 positive samples out of the twelve were successfully. The seven Parv4 sequences were all genotype 1 and were most similar to the genotype 1 subgroup ...