title: The epidemiological situation of chickenpox in the Silesian voivodeship in the years 2011-2015 in view of data of the situation in Poland
abstract: Despite the availability of preventive vaccination against chickenpox, this form of prevention is rarely used and is not available to the entire population of children. In order to evaluate an acquired immunity against the virus Varicella-Zoster examining of the presence of specific IgG antibodies to VZV in serum or plasma is required. The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiological situation of chickenpox in Śląskie Voivodeship in 2011-2015.
  
  
  
  The evaluation of the epidemiological situation of chickenpox in the past five years was based on analysis of data from the bulletin “Infectious diseases and poisonings in Poland” for the period 2011-2014 and 2015 data, received from the Provincial Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations. Analysis of the vaccinated population was made on the basis of data available in the bulletin “Vaccinations in Poland” for the period 2011-2014 and 2015 data obtained from the NIPH-PZH. Samples of patients from Śląskie were tested with the use of Novalisa Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) IgG - ELISA (Novatec Immunodiagnostic GMBH, Germany). Samples were delivered to the Laboratory of the Provincial Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in the course of 2011-2015.
  
  
  
  Between 2011 and 2015, in Śląskie, 136 094 chickenpox cases were registered (14% of all occurring in Poland). Based on the number of cases, Śląskie is ranked second place, just after Mazowieckie, in which during the same period of time 143 392 illness were registered. The average annual incidence in Śląskie was 591 per 100 thousand residents. Between 2011 and 2015, a total of 360 serum samples were examined. The percentage of positive IgG in each year ranged between 59.6 and 75.7%.
  
  
  
  Promoting vaccination and preventing the sick children to contact the healthy ones as well as the protection of adults susceptible to infection can improve the epidemiological situation regarding incidences of chickenpox. Thanks to vaccines the risk of incidence of chickenpox can be reduced or even the incidences can be prevented. Information about acquired immunity, acquired before the pregnancy, allows to take the action in order to protect the mother from getting chickenpox in form of a preventive vaccination.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, School of Health Sciences, Poland|Provincial Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in Katowice
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cieślik-Tarkota
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland; Department of General, Colorectal and Polytrauma Surgery
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lorenc
authors.affiliation: Provincial Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in Katowice|Zakład Badań Strukturalnych Skóry, Katedra Kosmetologii, Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albertyńska
authors.affiliation: Provincial Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in Katowice|Zakład Badań Strukturalnych Skóry, Katedra Kosmetologii, Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rozwadowska
authors.affiliation: Zakład Badań Strukturalnych Skóry, Katedra Kosmetologii, Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach
authors.forename: Krzysztof P.
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Jasik
authors.affiliation: Provincial Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in Katowice
authors.forename: Urszula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mendera-Bożek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D002644:Chickenpox / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D032541:Mass Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019433:Chickenpox Vaccine