Varicella seroprevalence in Turkish population in Cyprus
- 27 April 2007
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Acta Paediatrica
- Vol. 96 (6) , 861-863
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.2007.00289.x
Abstract
This study was conducted to determine the age-specific seroprevalence of varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection in Turkish population in Cyprus. A total of 600 unvaccinated individuals aged 1-30 years were selected for the study with cluster sampling. Information on socio-demographic characteristics was gathered for each participant and, anti-VZV antibodies were assayed by using enzyme immune assay. Of the 578 assayed samples, 486 (84.1%) were seropositive. Varicella seroprevalence increased sharply with age from 25% for the 2-3 year olds to 55, 78 and 85% for 4-5, 6-7 and 8-9 year olds, respectively. More than 90% of individuals >16 years of age were seropositive. Varicella seroprevalence was higher in large families with five and more members (91.2%) than in small families with four or fewer members (80.2%). The majority of varicella-zoster virus infections occur during preschool period and at the first years of schooling. Therefore, routine varicella vaccination of children would be logical in Northern Cyprus, as is currently recommended by the European Working Group on Varicella.Keywords
This publication has 18 references indexed in Scilit:
- Seroepidemiology of Varicella zoster in Israel Prior to Large-scale Use of Varicella VaccinesInfection, 2006
- Seroprevalence of Varicella in the French PopulationThe Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 2006
- Seroepidemiology of varicella-zoster virus infection in a cosmopolitan city (Erzurum) in the eastern TurkeyHealth Policy, 2005
- Consensus: Varicella Vaccination of Healthy ChildrenThe Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 2004
- Seroprevalence of varicella-zoster virus immunoglobulin G antibodies in Swiss adolescents and risk factor analysis for seronegativityThe Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 2001
- The seroepidemiology of varicella in ItalyEpidemiology and Infection, 2001
- Seroepidemiology of varicella-zoster virus infection in Catalonia (Spain). Rationale for universal vaccination programmesVaccine, 2000
- Varicella-Zoster Virus VaccineClinical Infectious Diseases, 1997
- THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF VARICELLA-ZOSTER VIRUS INFECTIONSInfectious Disease Clinics of North America, 1996
- Complications of varicella requiring hospitalization in previously healthy childrenThe Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 1992