Development of a droplet digital PCR for detection and quantitation of human parvovirus B19

Early human parvovirus B19 (B19V) infections were sporadic or occurred in small clusters, attracting little attention. Since late 2023, nine European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries have reported a significant increase in B19 infections. Moreover, the virus has robust physicochemical tolerance and the potential to resist pathogen removal processes such as filtration, inactivation, and pasteurization, which have raised the close attention and vigilance of international organizations, governments, and the public. Despite existing qPCR and antigen/antibody tests, the growing number of infections in multiple countries highlights the need for a more accurate and efficient detection system. Based on this, our team carried out related research and built a system configuration based on the third-generation droplet digital polymerase chain reaction platform, with a view to updating the B19V detection method.