Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Immunity to varicella-zoster virus in Croatian women of reproductive age targeted for serology testing

  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine the immunity to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in Croatian pregnant and non-pregnant women of reproductive age.

Methods

During 2007–2011, a total of 638 women aged 16–45 years were tested for the presence of VZV IgM and IgG antibodies using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Samples positive for IgG antibodies with positive or equivocal IgM antibodies were tested for IgG avidity.

Results

The overall IgG seroprevalence was 84.3 %. There was a significant increase in IgG seropositivity with age (OR = 1.04 for 1-year increase in age; 95 % CI 1.01–1.08). The lowest seroprevalence rate was reported in the 16–20 age groups (78.6 %), and the highest was in the 41–45 age groups (94.3 %). There was no significant difference in seroprevalence among women residing in urban and rural areas (83.6 vs. 87.0 %, OR 0.76, 95 % CI 0.43–1.34).

Conclusions

The results of this study have shown that a high proportion of Croatian childbearing-aged women (15.7 %) who were referred to the laboratory for VZV serology testing are susceptible to VZV and, thus, at risk for contracting varicella during pregnancy. Serology testing of adolescent girls and adult women who do not have a documented history of varicella is encouraged with the aim of vaccinating seronegative girls and women against VZV before pregnancy. In addition, testing of pregnant women is advised to identify susceptible women and vaccinate them after delivery.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Enders G, Miller E, Cradock-Watson J, Bolley I, Ridehalgh M (1994) Consequences of varicella and herpes zoster in pregnancy: a prospective study of 1739 cases. Lancet 343:1548–1551

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Pastuszak AL, Levy M, Schick B, Zuber C, Feldkamp M, Gladstone J, Bar-Levy F, Jackson E, Donnenfeld A, Meschino W, Koren G (1994) Outcome after maternal varicella infection in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. N Engl J Med 330:901–905

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Sauerbrei A, Wutzler P (2000) The congenital varicella syndrome. J Perinat 20:540–554

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Talukder YS, Kafatos G, Pinot de Moira A, Aquilina J, Parker SP, Crowcroft NS, Brown DWG, Breuer J (2007) The seroepidemiology of varicella zoster virus among pregnant Bangladeshi and white British women in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, UK. Epidemiol Infect 135:1344–1353

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Plans P, Costa J, Espunes J, Piasencia A, Salleras L (2007) Prevalence of varicella-zoster antibodies in pregnant women in Catalonia (Spain). Rational for varicella vaccination of women of childbearing age. BJOG 114(9):1122–1127

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Alanen A, Kahala K, Vahlberg T, Koskela P, Vainionpää R (2005) Seroprevalence, incidence of prenatal infections and reliability of maternal history of varicella zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus and parvovirus B19 infection in South-Western Finland. BJOG 112(1):50–56

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Sočan M, Berginc Č, Lajovic J (2010) Varicella susceptibility and transmission dynamics in Slovenia. BMC Public Health 10:360

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Saadatian-Elahi M, Mekki Y, Del Signore C, Lina B, Derrough T, Caulin E, Thierry J, Vanhems P (2007) Seroprevalence of varicella antibodies among pregnant women in Lyon, France. Eur J Epidemiol 22(6):405–409

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Guido M, Tinelli A, De Donno A, Quattrocchi M, Malvasi A, Campilongo F, Zizza A, The Seroepidemiology Group (2012) Susceptibility to varicella-zoster among pregnant women in the province of Lecce, Italy. J Clin Virol 53(1):72–76

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Jamieson DJ, Theiler RN, Rasmussen SA (2006) Emerging infections and pregnancy. Emerg Infect Dis 12(11):1638–1643

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Nardone A, de Ory F, Carton M, Cohen D, van Damme P, Davidkin I, Rota MC, de Melker H, Mossong J, Slacikova M, Tischer A, Andrews N, Berbers G, Gabutti G, Gay N, Jones L, Jokinen S, Kafatos G, de Aragon MV, Schneider F, Smetana Z, Vargova B, Vranckx R, Miller E (2007) The comparative sero-epidemiology of varicella zoster virus in 11 countries in the European region. Vaccine 25(45):7866–7872

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases (2007) Prevention of varicella: recommendations for use of varicella vaccines in children, including a recommendation for a routine 2-dose varicella immunization schedule. Pediatrics 120(1):221–231

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia, Grant No. 005-0053443-3447 (to GMG). Authors thank Ljiljana Milasincic, Snjezana Artl and Jelena Loncar for technical assistance.

Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microbiology Service, Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia

    Tatjana Vilibic-Cavlek, Suncanica Ljubin-Sternak, Mario Sviben, Ljiljana Kos & Gordana Mlinaric-Galinovic

  2. School of Medicine University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

    Tatjana Vilibic-Cavlek, Suncanica Ljubin-Sternak, Mario Sviben & Gordana Mlinaric-Galinovic

  3. Zagreb County Institute of Public Health, Velika Gorica, Croatia

    Branko Kolaric

  4. School of Medicine University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia

    Branko Kolaric

  5. Communicable Disease Epidemiology Service, Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia

    Bernard Kaic

Authors
  1. Tatjana Vilibic-Cavlek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Suncanica Ljubin-Sternak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Branko Kolaric
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Bernard Kaic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mario Sviben
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ljiljana Kos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Gordana Mlinaric-Galinovic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tatjana Vilibic-Cavlek.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Vilibic-Cavlek, T., Ljubin-Sternak, S., Kolaric, B. et al. Immunity to varicella-zoster virus in Croatian women of reproductive age targeted for serology testing. Arch Gynecol Obstet 286, 901–904 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-012-2398-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-012-2398-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation