Seroepidemiology of varicella-zoster virus infection in a cosmopolitan city (Erzurum) in the eastern Turkey.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to determine VZV seroprevalence under age 30 and to identify the relationship of VZV seroprevalence and several sociodemographic characteristics of the study subjects. The results were presented in order to design a strategy for vaccination against varicella-zoster virus (VZV).


METHODS
It was planned to include a total of 568 subjects. The sampling method of 30 clusters recommended for field studies was used for selecting subjects of a predetermined number in the rural and urban areas in eastern Turkey. ELISA method was used to examine the blood samples for VZV seropositivity. Age, gender, place of living, educational level, family size and socioeconomic status was investigated in the study subjects.


RESULTS
Positive VZV seroprevalence was detected in 78% of 559 subjects. Seroprevalence increased with age. Seroprevalence was 16.67% at the age of 1 year, subsequently increased to 57.58% at the age of 4 years, 70% at the age of 7 years, 92.31% at the age of 10 years and then remained 86.78-96.36% in subjects over the age of 10 years. No association was found between sociodemographic variables studied and prevalence levels of antibodies except for educational level in the 0-14 year group.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the majority of VZV infections occur during the early childhood; the best option to reduce the circulation of wild type VZV in the population would be the immunization of young children. VZV vaccine should be introduced into the routine childhood vaccination programme in Turkey.
Alp
Handan
H
Department of Pediatrics, Ataturk Universitesi, 25 240 Erzurum, Turkey.
Altinkaynak
Sevin
S
Ertekin
Vildan
V
Kiliçaslan
Buket
B
Giiraksin
Asuman
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003710:Demography; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014611:Vaccination
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine