Varicella-zoster virus susceptibility and primary healthcare consultations in Norway

BMC Infectious Diseases

Research Article

Elmira Flem¹  Kirsti Vainio¹  Moustafa Gibory¹  Beatriz Valcarcel Salamanca¹  Grazina Rimseliene¹ 

[1] Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Infection Control and Environmental Health, PO Box 4404, NO-0403, Oslo, Norway;

关键词: Herpes Zoster;    Primary Healthcare;    Consultation Rate;    Varicella Vaccine;    Norwegian Population;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12879-016-1581-4

 received in 2015-10-20, accepted in 2016-05-14,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundCurrently Norway does not recommend universal varicella vaccination for healthy children. This study assessed susceptibility to varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in the Norwegian population for the first time.MethodsA national convenience sample of residual sera was tested for anti-VZV IgG by ELISA. We estimated age-specific seropositivity to VZV, controlling for sex and geographical distribution. We assessed differences between the proportions using the chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression. Seroprevalence data were compared to the varicella and herpes zoster-associated consultation rates in patients attending primary healthcare.ResultsAlthough 73.2 % (n = 1,540) of all samples were positive for VZV, only 11.2 % of samples collected from 1-year-olds were seropositive. There was a sharp increase in the proportion of seropositive in 3- and 5-year-olds (40.2 % and 65.4 %, respectively). By the school entry age of 6 years, 69.8 % of children were seropositive. The age-specific annual consultation rate for varicella in primary healthcare peaked in 1-year-olds, with 2,627 cases per 100,000 population. The profile of varicella-related consultations in primary healthcare mirrored the VZV seropositivity profile. The herpes zoster-related consultations in primary healthcare peaked in people over 70 years of age (702 cases per 100,000 population).ConclusionsVZV seroprevalence in Norway was somewhat lower than in some other European countries. The age-specific varicella–related consultation rates in primary healthcare mirrored the age profile of VZV seroprevalence.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Rimseliene et al. 2016