Varicella-zoster virus susceptibility and primary healthcare consultations in Norway

Rimšelienė, Gražina; Vainio, Kirsti; Gibory, Moustafa; Salamanca, Beatriz Valcárcel; Flem, Elmira

doi:10.1186/s12879-016-1581-4

Cited by 17 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Low level of immunity to varicella was detected in all age groups for children, while, in comparison, the immunity among 15-19-year-olds in Poland was 89.5%. A satisfactory level of immunity (91.9%) was not found in the age group of 30-34, and a similar level (> 91%) persisted in older age groups [14]. In Israel, mean level of immunity to varicella was 87.6%, but a statistically significant difference was detected between individuals born in (87.7%) and outside (91.7%) Israel.…”

Section: Exposurementioning

confidence: 82%

Varicella — a potential threat to maternal and fetal health

et al. 2017

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Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the following: i) number of midwives and nurses at risk for contracting varicella; ii) effectiveness of infectious disease prevention among healthcare personnel; iii) attitude of healthcare personnel towards immunization. Material and methods:A total of 524 midwives and nurses from obstetric, neonatal, and pediatric wards were investigated. Quantitative data analysis was performed.Results: Overall, 14.7% potentially seronegative respondents were identified. Out of those with a positive history of varicella, 6.56% contracted the disease after starting work, and > 70% had contact with the varicella-zoster virus. Overall, 9.54% of the respondents had a history of varicella, 3.12% were informed about the possibility of immunization, and 1.56% of those with a negative history of the disease were offered a state-funded vaccine. In the same group, the number of vaccinated people amounted to 13.28%, and 26.13% would accept a state-funded vaccine. Conclusions:Varicella may constitute a significant threat to maternal and fetal health at obstetric, neonatal, and pediatric wards, which must be considered when providing care to women in the reproductive age. Occupational health physicians should confirm the immunity status of the patients and suggest immunization to seronegative subjects. Regular workshops are necessary to update the knowledge of medical professionals and patients in order to shape their attitudes and beliefs about immunization.

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Section: Exposurementioning

confidence: 82%

Varicella — a potential threat to maternal and fetal health

et al. 2017

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“…Samples collected during the H1N1 2009–2010 influenza pandemic were deliberately excluded, as well as the very few samples available from 2012 to 2013 [22]. …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The natural history of varicella zoster virus infection in Norway: Further insights on exogenous boosting and progressive immunity to herpes zoster

et al. 2017

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We use age-structured models for VZV transmission and reactivation to reconstruct the natural history of VZV in Norway based on available pre-vaccination serological data, contact matrices, and herpes zoster incidence data. Depending on the hypotheses on contact and transmission patterns, the basic reproduction number of varicella in Norway ranges between 3.7 and 5.0, implying a vaccine coverage between 73 and 80% to effectively interrupt transmission with a 100% vaccine efficacy against infection. The varicella force of infection peaks during early childhood (3–5 yrs) and shows a prolonged phase of higher risk during the childbearing period, though quantitative variations can occur depending on contact patterns. By expressing the magnitude of exogenous boosting as a proportion of the force of infection, it is shown that reactivation is well described by a progressive immunity mechanism sustained by a large, though possibly below 100%, degree of exogenous boosting, in agreement with findings from other Nordic countries, implying large reproduction numbers of boosting. Moreover, magnitudes of exogenous boosting below 40% are robustly disconfirmed by data. These results bring further insight on the magnitude of immunity boosting and its relationship with reactivation.

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“…To estimate VZV serorevalence in general population in Norway we used residual sera samples collected within another study -a method widely used in other countries [42,118].…”

Section: Study Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sera specimens were collected from all 19 counties throughout Norway. Overall, 2,103 samples from patients aged 0-92 years were included in the study [118].…”

Section: Study Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The burden of herpes zoster disease in Norway

Mirinavičiūtė

Quist‐Paulsen

Brantsæter

et al. 2020

Vaccine

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Background: Currently 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. Methods: A 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. Results: Although 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). Conclusions: VZV 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.

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Varicella-zoster virus susceptibility and primary healthcare consultations in Norway

Cited by 17 publications

References 25 publications

Varicella — a potential threat to maternal and fetal health

Varicella — a potential threat to maternal and fetal health

The natural history of varicella zoster virus infection in Norway: Further insights on exogenous boosting and progressive immunity to herpes zoster

The burden of herpes zoster disease in Norway

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