Key result
Parvovirus B19 infection was confirmed via CSF PCR in 3 patients presenting with rapid-onset flaccid limb weakness and anterior horn cell myelitis.
Why the study?
Neurological involvement with parvovirus B19 is rare, and anterior horn cell myelitis associated with the infection is undocumented in India.
Case Report (n=3)
This case series highlights a rare neurotropic presentation of parvovirus B19 causing anterior horn cell myelitis, suggesting the need for its inclusion in acute flaccid paralysis testing.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Parvovirus B19 myelitis cases in Eastern India warrant clinical consideration in acute flaccid paralysis; leaves open true incidence and neurotropism.
Parvovirus B19 causes erythema infectiosum rashes, transient aplastic crisis, and hydrops fetalis. But its neurological involvement is rare; specifically, anterior horn cell myelitis is undocumented in India. To describe three cases of parvovirus B19-associated anterior horn cell myelitis that occurred within (July–August 2025) and within a close geographic proximity in Eastern India, suggesting a new horizon in its neurotropism in India. We reviewed three patients aged 7, 15, and 16 years, presenting with rapid-onset flaccid limb weakness. All underwent relevant studies and serological testing, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) parvovirus B19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR). They had acute flaccid limb weakness characterized by pure motor involvement, with rapid progression over 48–72 h. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine showed long-segment T2 hyperintensities restricted to the anterior horn cell columns in the cervical cord, with the owl’s-eye sign. Electrophysiology showed a motor axonal involvement with preserved sensory responses. All three cases had normal cell, protein, and glucose in CSF with positive CSF parvovirus B19 PCR. Two cases resided in Murshidabad district, and the third one came from the adjacent North 24 Parganas district during the monsoon season in the West Bengal state of India. This three-case cluster of parvovirus B19-associated anterior horn cell myelitis supports the virus’s neurotropic capacity. The post-coronavirus disease surge in parvovirus B19 and its neurological involvement is a serious concern, especially in the monsoon season. Early pattern recognition and inclusion of parvovirus B19 testing in acute flaccid paralysis cases may improve detection of such clusters.
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Mukherjee et al. (2026) conducted a case report in Anterior horn cell myelitis (n=3). Parvovirus B19 infection was evaluated on Clinical, radiological, and electrophysiological characteristics. Parvovirus B19 infection was confirmed via CSF PCR in 3 patients presenting with rapid-onset flaccid limb weakness and anterior horn cell myelitis.
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