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Varicella Vaccination (varicella + vaccination)
Selected AbstractsGenotypes of varicella-zoster virus wild-type strains in GermanyJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 6 2008A. Sauerbrei Abstract Surveillance of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) genotypes is indicated in Germany after implementation of universal varicella vaccination. This article reports genotyping data of 77 VZV strains obtained from 54 patients with varicella, 1 newborn with congenital varicella syndrome, 2 fetuses with intrauterine VZV infection and 20 cases with zoster. Fragments of the open reading frames (ORF) 1, 21, 22, 37, 50, 54, and 60 were analyzed by sequencing. In addition, the PstI polymorphism of the ORF 38 was characterized. Thirty strains, 22 from varicella and 8 from zoster, had the genetic markers of genotype E2, 2 of them carried new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). Twenty-nine VZV isolates, 17 from varicella, and 12 from zoster, could be analyzed as E1 strains, 6 of them as E1 variants containing individual SNPs. Finally, 17 strains taken from primary VZV infection were classified as genotype M1, 13 of which belonged to the M1 subtype 1, 3 to the M1 subtype 2, and 1 to the M1 subtype 3. One strain was regarded as potential E2/J recombinant. In conclusion, VZV genotypes E2, E1, and M1 can be found in nearly equal incidence in varicella in Germany. The most frequent group is attributed to the genotype E2. Genotype M1 strains can only be detected after primary VZV infection and not in zoster cases. The possible recombinant could not be classified definitely by the scattered SNP method used and, therefore, has to be confirmed by full-genome sequencing studies. J. Med. Virol. 80:1123,1130, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Epidemiology of varicella-zoster virus in England and WalesJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue S1 2003M. Brisson Abstract Many countries are studying currently the possibility of mass vaccination against varicella. The objective of this study was to provide a complete picture of the pre-vaccine epidemiology of the Varicella-Zoster Virus in England and Wales to aid in the design of immunisation programs. Population-based data including general practitioner sentinel surveillance, hospitalisation data, and death certificates from England and Wales were analysed. The average incidence rates for varicella and zoster between 1991 and 2000 were 1,291 and 373 per 100,000 years, respectively. Overall hospitalisation rates were equal for varicella and zoster (4.5 vs. 4.4 hospitalisation per 100,000 population) with 5 and 8%, respectively, having underlying immunosuppressive conditions. The age-specific proportion of cases hospitalised and length of stay were similar between the two diseases. However, the overall burden of disease is considerably higher for zoster. The number of inpatient days and case-fatality due to zoster are roughly 4 to 6 times greater than for varicella (11 vs. 3 days and 25 vs. 4 deaths per 100,000 case). These results provide base-line estimates should mass varicella vaccination be introduced in England and Wales. J. Med. Virol. 70:S9,S14, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Safety and Immunogenicity of Varicella-Zoster Virus Vaccine in Pediatric Liver and Intestine Transplant RecipientsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 3 2006A. Weinberg Primary varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infections following organ transplantation may cause significant morbidity. We examined the safety and immunogenicity of Varivax® after transplantation as a potential prophylactic tool. Pediatric liver and intestine transplant recipients without history of chickenpox received one dose of Varivax®. VZV humoral and cellular immunity were assessed before and ,12 weeks after vaccination. Adverse events (AE) and management of exposure to wild type VZV were monitored. Sixteen VZV-naïve subjects, 13,76 months of age, at 257,2045 days after transplantation were immunized. Five children developed mild local AE of short duration. Four subjects developed fever and four developed non-injection site rashes, three of whom received acyclovir. Liver enzymes did not increase during the month after vaccination. Eighty-seven percent and 86% of children developed humoral and cellular immunity, respectively. There were five reported exposures to varicella in four children, none of which resulted in chickenpox. One subject received VZV-immunoglobulin and another subject with liver enzyme elevations after exposure received acyclovir; all remained asymptomatic. Varivax® was safe and immunogenic in pediatric liver and intestine transplant recipients. Larger studies are needed to establish the efficacy and role of varicella vaccination after transplantation. [source] Modelling the impact of vaccination on the epidemiology of varicella zoster virus in AustraliaAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 6 2005Heather F. Gidding Objective: To model the impact of universal varicella vaccination in Australia. Methods: The results of an Australia-wide serosurvey for varicella zoster virus (VZV) immunity were used to parameterise realistic, age-structured deterministic models (RAS) developed by Brisson and colleagues. We examined the impact of a vaccination program for one-year-olds alone, and with a catch-up campaign for 11 -year-olds, on the incidence of varicella and zoster, using Australia's population structure. Morbidity was then determined by calculating the number of hospital in-patient days. Results: Infant vaccination is predicted to reduce the incidence of varicella. However, zoster incidence is expected to increase initially, assuming exposure to varicella boosts immunity to zoster. Accumulated morbidity from both varicella and zoster is predicted to remain above that expected without vaccination for the first 70 years of an infant program (assuming 90% coverage with boosting for 20 years). However, after 70 years the net health savings from vaccination are predicted to increase substantially. Conclusions and Implications: Infant vaccination is expected to be a successful long-term commitment to reducing morbidity associated with VZV infection in Australia. [source] Varicella seroprevalence in Turkish population in CyprusACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 6 2007Zafer Kurugol Abstract Aim: This study was conducted to determine the age-specific seroprevalence of varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection in Turkish population in Cyprus. Methods: A total of 600 unvaccinated individuals aged 1,30 years were selected for the study with cluster sampling. Information on socio-demographic characteristics was gathered for each participant and, anti-VZV antibodies were assayed by using enzyme immune assay. Results: Of the 578 assayed samples, 486 (84.1%) were seropositive. Varicella seroprevalence increased sharply with age from 25% for the 2,3 year olds to 55, 78 and 85% for 4,5, 6,7 and 8,9 year olds, respectively. More than 90% of individuals >16 years of age were seropositive. Varicella seroprevalence was higher in large families with five and more members (91.2%) than in small families with four or fewer members (80.2%). Conclusion: The majority of varicella-zoster virus infections occur during preschool period and at the first years of schooling. Therefore, routine varicella vaccination of children would be logical in Northern Cyprus, as is currently recommended by the European Working Group on Varicella. [source] | ||||||||||