Purpose

Parvovirus B19 is an etiological factor of many disorders, including erythema infectiosum, transient aplastic crisis, pure red cell aplasia, arthritis, non-immune hydrops fetalis and less commonly occurring neurological infections.

Case description

In this paper we present the case of a 36-year old man, in whom encephalitis caused by B19 based on multidisciplinary differential process was diagnosed. The patient was a truck driver. This occupation is associated with the risk of infection through contact with contaminated cargo, difficulties in maintaining personal hygiene, risky sexual contacts, and endemic diseases occurring in different latitudes, which may suggest the infection with other pathogens e.g. HIV, and therefore be highly misleading.

Comment

We conclude that B19 should be always taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of encephalitis.