Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Sep 13, 2025 2 hours, 10 minutes ago
Medical News: A Hidden Virus Returns Stronger
Austrian researchers have uncovered a surprising rise in parvovirus B19 infections among blood donors after the COVID-19 pandemic. Parvovirus B19 is a small virus that can spread through blood transfusions and may cause serious problems for people with weak immune systems or pregnant women. Between 2012 and 2019, the infection rate among blood donors in Salzburg was steady at 0.13%. During the pandemic years of 2020 to 2022, cases nearly disappeared, dropping to just 0.02%. But soon after restrictions were lifted, infections exploded, reaching 1.47% in 2024. This
Medical News report highlights that the sudden spike is more than a tenfold increase compared to before COVID-19.
Parvovirus Infections Surge After COVID-19 in Austrian Blood Donors
Institutions Behind the Research
The study was carried out by experts from the Department of Transfusion Medicine at the University Hospital of Salzburg and the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg. Researchers from the IDA Lab Salzburg and the GMP Laboratory at PMU Salzburg also contributed.
Why the Surge Happened
Scientists believe this surge is tied to an “immunity debt.” During the COVID years, lockdowns, mask-wearing, and social distancing reduced the spread of many common viruses. While this protected people for a time, it also meant fewer individuals developed natural immunity. Once restrictions ended, a larger pool of people was vulnerable, giving parvovirus B19 the chance to spread widely. In fact, cases peaked in June 2024 with nearly 3% of blood donors testing positive. Younger donors between 18 and 45 years old were hit hardest and also showed higher viral loads.
More Than Just Numbers
The team screened over 441,000 blood donations collected in Salzburg between 2012 and 2024. Not only did they find more infections after the pandemic, but the virus levels in infected blood were also higher. This raised concerns about the safety of blood transfusions, especially for patients who already face health risks. Even more worrying, follow-up tests showed that 39% of donors who tested positive for parvovirus B19 remained positive two years later. This shows that the virus can persist in the body much longer than expected.
What This Means for Blood Safety
These findings suggest that stricter blood donation screening and longer waiting periods may be necessary, especially during outbreak periods. While most healthy adults do not experience serious symptoms, the virus can cause miscarriage, fetal anemia, or severe illness in vulnerable groups. The persistence of the virus in donors means that routine testing and cautious policies will be critical to protect patients who rely on safe transfusions.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Diagnostics.
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/18/2313
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