Symptoms may develop slowly or suddenly. Fatigue, frequent infections, rapid heart rate and bleeding may occur.

It is more frequent in people in their teens and twenties, but is also common among the elderly

Aplastic anemia can be caused by exposure to certain chemicals, drugs, radiation, infection, immune disease

Aplastic anemia is present in up to 2% of patients with acute viral hepatitis.

More frequently parvovirus B19 is associated with aplastic crisis which involves only the red blood cells (despite the name).

Aplastic anemia involves all different cell lines.