Canada Communicable Disease Report Relevé des maladies transmissibles au Canada

It has been estimated that varicella complications occur in 5% to 10% of healthy children. Complications include skin and soft tissue infections, group A streptococcal infections, otitis media, pneumonia, and encephalitis. Between 0.2% and 1.5% of Canadian children with varicella are admitted to hospital. Maternal varicella during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy can lead to congenital varicella syndrome (0.4% to 2% risk) ; maternal varicella around the time of delivery can result in severe neonatal varicella in 17% to 30% of infants. From 1987 to 1996, there were one to 16 deaths per year attributable to varicella in Canada; 70% were of individuals > 15 years old.