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Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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In this Article

• What is bocavirus?
• What are the symptoms and signs of bocavirus infection?
• How is bocavirus infection spread?
• How is bocavirus infection diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for bocavirus infection?
• What is the prognosis of bocavirus infection?
• Can bocavirus infection be prevented?
• Bocavirus At A Glance
• Find a local Doctor in your town
• Bocavirus Infection Index

Bocavirus strains have not yet been shown definitively to cause infection; prevention methods await development and are likely to be investigated if these viruses are shown to participate in causing infection. Currently, there is no vaccine in development for human use.

• Bocavirus are members of the Parvoviridae virus family that are small (20 nm), non-enveloped viruses with single-stranded DNA.
• Bocavirus is found usually in infants and children who are hospitalized with pneumonia or diarrheal symptoms.
• Bocavirus is often detected in patients who are infected with other viruses.
• Although some investigators suspect bocavirus to cause infection and disease, there is no definitive proof that bocavirus causes infection or disease, either alone or with other viruses.
• There are no diagnostic tests or medical treatments for bocavirus; researchers detect bocavirus with a PCR test that is not widely available.
• There is no vaccine available for bocavirus.
• Research in the next few years should better define what role, if any, bocavirus plays in human infections and diseases.

REFERENCES:

Allander, T., M.T. Tammi, M. Eriksson, et al. "Cloning of a Human Parvovirus by Molecular Screening of Respiratory Tract Samples." Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 102.36 Sept. 6 2005: 12891-12896.

Bennett, Nicholas John, and Joseph Domachowske. "Bocavirus." eMedicine.com. Oct. 6, 2008. <http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1355393-overview>.

Song, J., Y. Jin, Z. Xie, et al. "Novel Human Bocavirus in Children With Acute Respiratory Tract Infection." Emerg Infect Dis 16.2 (2010): 324-327.

United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Human Bocavirus 2 in Children, South Korea." Oct. 23, 2009. <http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/15/10/1698.htm>.