Seroprevalence of varicella antibodies in adults without clinical history of disease

• Main Authors: Konrad Silva Büchele (Author), Danusa Ferreira Correa (Author), Mari Tuyama (Author), Alberto dos Santos de Lemos (Author), Marcellus Dias da Costa (Author), Emersom Cicilini Mesquita (Author), Daniel Marinho da Costa (Author), José Cerbino-Neto (Author), Margareth Catoia Varela (Author), Pedro Emmanuel Americano Alvarenga do Brasil (Author), Luciana Gomes Pedro Brandão (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

Abstract: Varicella in adults and immunocompromised patients can be severe. The clinical diagnosis of varicella has high accuracy and the history of disease has a high positive predictive value for protection. A significant portion of adults, however, cannot remember if they have had varicella, especially older individuals. We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the seroprevalence of varicella protective antibodies titers in adults with no clinical history of disease, attended at a Reference Center for Special Immunobiologicals and Travel Medicine in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Titration of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to varicella-zoster was determined by chemiluminescence immunoassay. Among 140 adults without history of varicella, 92% had protective antibody titers. We concluded that seroprevalence of varicella-zoster protection was very high in adults with negative history of disease and the use of serology before vaccination reduced significantly unnecessary vaccine and immunoglobulin use.

Item Description

1678-4464
10.1590/0102-311x00149119