title: Age related seroprevalence of antibodies to varicella in India.
abstract: 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
authors.affiliation: Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lokeshwar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Subbarao
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Ram Prasad
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weil
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Bock
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanwal
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shah
mesh_terms: 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