Persistent parvovirus B19 infection and arthralgia in a patient mistakenly treated for Lyme disease

J Clin Virol. 2008 Oct;43(2):226-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2008.06.010. Epub 2008 Jul 23.

Abstract

We report a case of a 37-year-old woman with persistent parvovirus B19 infection and arthralgia mistakenly treated for Lyme disease. This case indicates that poor standardization of both screening and confirmatory assays for Lyme disease can lead to an incorrect diagnosis of Lyme disease. Before making a final diagnosis of Lyme arthritis in an endemic region, other causative agents of arthritis, such as parvovirus B19, should be excluded to avoid unnecessary treatment or to add appropriate therapy in the case of co-infections. Since parvovirus B19 is often associated with arthralgia and can mimic rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune diseases, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of arthralgia.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Amoxicillin / therapeutic use*
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Arthralgia / diagnosis*
  • Arthralgia / virology
  • DNA, Viral / analysis
  • DNA, Viral / isolation & purification
  • Diagnostic Errors*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood
  • Immunoglobulin M / blood
  • Lyme Disease / diagnosis*
  • Lyme Disease / drug therapy
  • Parvoviridae Infections / diagnosis*
  • Parvoviridae Infections / virology
  • Parvovirus B19, Human / immunology
  • Parvovirus B19, Human / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • DNA, Viral
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Amoxicillin