title: A laboratory study of age-related varicella incidence and prevalence in the Czech Socialist Republic.
abstract: During 1972-1981, ten representative population samples totalling 2,916 individuals were tested for antibodies to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) by an indirect-haemagglutination assay (IHA). Statistical analysis of the results provided estimates of age-related varicella prevalence and incidence rates. It transpired that 45% of the child population had encountered varicella at preschool age and another 45% during the attendance of school. Adult seropositivity rates amounted to 97.5-100%. The highest varicella incidence was observed in the 4-year age interval of 2-6 years. For control, additional 324 and 297 individuals were tested by RIA and ELISA IgG, respectively; there was good correlation of results. For the period 1970-1985 varicella morbidity was also studied from notification data. As far as the authors are aware, the present investigation performed on a total of 3,537 subjects furnishes the most comprehensive information on nation-wide varicella incidence and prevalence obtained by laboratory methods.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Prague, Czechoslovakia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trlifajová
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Svandová
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pokorný
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pokorný
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003604:Czechoslovakia; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral