Human Parvovirus 4: A harmless bystander or a pathogen of severe acute respiratory illness

Abstract Introduction Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, caused by large number of viral and bacterial agents. PARV4 is a recently identified virus detected in human blood and variety of tissues, but, its disease association with SARI could not be established. Objective In the present case control study, we aim to investigate the association of PARV4 with SARI. Methods The Nasal and Throat swab (NS/TS) samples of 241 cases and 146 healthy controls were tested for most common respiratory viruses and PARV4 by real-time PCR. Results PARV4 was detected in 64(26.55%) SARI cases and only one healthy control (0.68%). PARV4 was the most common viral agent detected in SARI cases. A strong association of PARV4 is seen with severe respiratory illness. Conclusion Detection of PARV4 in significantly higher number of SARI cases, in comparison with controls, suggests association of PARV4 with SARI. PARV4 genotype 2 is the only circulating strain detected in our study.