Abstract
To estimate the prevalence of IgG antibodies against B19 virus (B19V) in Makkah and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
B19V-specific IgG antibodies were detected by a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in sera of 400 paediatric patients (185 males and 215 females) aged 1-17 years.
Of the 400 patients, 80 (20%) had sera positive for B19V-specific IgG. The difference in the prevalence of the antibodies between genders was not statistically significant (p = 0.9). The prevalence of anti-B19V antibodies increased significantly in the age group of 12-17 years as compared to younger patients (37.5 vs. 18% in those aged 1-11 years; p = 0.006).
This study indicated a high prevalence of IgG antibodies against B19V in paediatric patients with an increase in age.