Fulminant parvovirus B19 myocarditis in infants -report of three post-pandemic cases.

Abstract

Lack of immune stimulation ("immune debt") in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a resurgence of many paediatric infectious diseases, recently including parvovirus B19 (PVB19). We observed three cases of fulminant PVB19 myocarditis in infants. All had experienced a short prodromal illness and succumbed to cardiogenic shock within 2-72 h after admission. The risk of fulminant myocarditis appears to be increased in infants. Further studies are needed to assess the incidence of fulminant myocarditis caused by PVB19, potentially linked to immune debt.