Varicella (chicken pox) is a highly contagious disease which is caused by Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV), a ubiquitous human α herpes virus. Nosocomial varicella in hospital employees can be costly to the hospital and disruptive to patient care. This case report describes an occupationally related outbreak of chickenpox in hospital staff and the lessons which were learnt by the hospital during th...

We describe the case of an eight-year-old boy with X-linked agammaglobulinemia who developed mild varicella despite regular intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy. He maintained protective antibody levels against varicella and the previous batches of IVIG that he received had adequate varicella-specific IgG levels. The case illustrates that IVIG may not prevent VZV infection.

Ninety throat swabs from 30 healthy children who received varicella vaccine were tested for varicella zoster virus DNA by the polymerase chain reaction. Seroconversion was observed in 27 of 30 (90%) vaccinees. The positive rates were 7.4% (2/27) at one week and 0% (0/27) at four weeks after vaccination. These rates were considerably lower than those in normal children with varicella.

1. Chandra PC, Patel H, Schiavello HJ, Briggs SL. Successful pregnancy outcome after complicated varicella pneumonia. Obstet Gynecol 1998;92:680-682. 2. Dahl H, Marcoccia J, Linde A. Antigen detection: the method of choice in comparison with virus isolation and serology for laboratory diagnosis of herpes zoster in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients. J Clin Microbiol 1997;35:347-349....

In 1995, the Varicella Active Surveillance Project (VASP) was established in Antelope Valley (California), a geographically distinct high-desert community of 300,000 residents, as one of three sites in the nation in a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to collect baseline demographic and clinical data and to monitor trends in varicella (chickenpox) f...

BACKGROUND Monovalent varicella vaccines have been available in the Veneto Region of Italy since 2004. In 2006, a single vaccine dose was added to the immunisation calendar for children aged 14 months. ProQuad®, a quadrivalent measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine, was introduced in May 2007 and used, among other varicella vaccines, until October 2008. This study aimed to evaluate the effecti...

BACKGROUND End stage renal disease (ESRD)/ end stage renal failure (ESRF) is on the rise globally and especially in Singapore. Varicella or chickenpox is not uncommon among adults especially ESRD/ESRF patients. It has been reported to cause complications and even death among immunocompetent adults. METHODS A retrospective data collection on patients with varicella infection and ESRD in Singap...

In tropical regions, chickenpox affects both adults and children. Therefore, healthcare workers in the tropics are vulnerable to hospital-acquired varicella infection and they may transmit infection to susceptible hospitalized individuals. Although the varicella vaccine is safe and effective, its cost is a deterrent to its use in routine immunization programmes. In order to assess whether vacci...

UNLABELLED Varicella is a highly infectious disease that can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis and death. Vaccination is the best method to prevent the disease. The objective of this study was to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and vaccination status of varicella among UKM students. A cross sectional study involving pre-tested questionnaires was undertaken bet...

BACKGROUND Varicella vaccine currently is recommended for children between 12 and 18 months of age. However, rates of breakthrough varicella have been reported to be higher among children vaccinated before 14 or 15 months of age and to increase with time since vaccination. METHODS An ongoing study at the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program is evaluating vaccine efficacy...