Primate Erythroparvovirus 1 (Parvovirus B19): An Etiologic Agent of Ataxia and Cerebellar Disease?

Jacqueline A Hobbs and Hena Wa

Abstract

Ataxia, a gross lack of motor control, is symptomatic of broader neurological disorder, typically of the cerebellum. A few case reports have documented the association of primate erythroparvovirus 1 [more commonly known as human parvovirus B19 (B19)] with ataxia. Parvoviruses are small DNA viruses that infect many different species. B19 is a well-known cause of erythema infectiosum, a common rash disease of childhood. B19 is also a cause of hydrops fetalis, a severe anemia of the fetus. Is it possible that the human parvovirus B19 is a cause of ataxia