Age related seroprevalence of antibodies to varicella in India.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the age related prevalence of Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) antibodies in India.


METHODS
This was a cross sectional multicentric study performed in 4 major cities of India: Calcutta (outpatients), Mumbai (outpatients), Lucknow (walk-in patients to a diagnostic laboratory, orphanage and factory workers) and Bangalore (outpatients and walk-in patients to a diagnostic laboratory).


METHODS
A total of 1609 volunteers from birth to 40 years of age were included into the study. IgG antibodies against VZV were determined using commercial kits (ELISA-Enzygnost).


RESULTS
Overall seroprevalence of anti VZV antibodies was 68. 22percnt. The age related seroprevalence rate of anti VZV antibodies was 29percnt in the age group of 1-5 years, 51.1percnt in 5-10 years, 71.7percnt in 11-15 years, 79.8percnt in 16-20 years, 88.1percnt in 21-30 years and 91.1percnt in 31-40 years.


CONCLUSIONS
A significant proportion of adolescents and adults are susceptible to varicella in India, as in other tropical countries
Lokeshwar
M R
MR
Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai, India.
Agrawal
A
A
Subbarao
S D
SD
Chakraborty
M S
MS
Ram Prasad
A V
AV
Weil
J
J
Bock
H L
HL
Kanwal
S
S
Shah
R C
RC
Shah
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies