Susceptibility to varicella-zoster among pregnant women in the province of Lecce, Italy
| Autor: | GUIDO, Marcello, DE DONNO, Maria Antonella, QUATTROCCHI, MANUELA, CAMPILONGO, FEDERICA, Tinelli A., Malvasi A., Zizza A., the Seroepidemiology Group |
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| Přispěvatelé: | Guido, Marcello, Tinelli, A., DE DONNO, Maria Antonella, Quattrocchi, Manuela, Malvasi, A., Campilongo, Federica, Zizza, A., the Seroepidemiology, Group |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2012 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Herpesvirus 3 Human Pediatrics medicine.medical_specialty Infectious disease in pregnancy Adolescent Varicella vaccine Cross-sectional study viruses Disease Antibodies Viral Herpes Zoster Virus Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) Chickenpox Vaccine Young Adult Pregnancy Surveys and Questionnaires Virology Prevalence medicine Humans Young adult Seroepidemiology Immunization Programs business.industry Vaccination virus diseases Middle Aged medicine.disease Cross-Sectional Studies Infectious Diseases Italy Immunoglobulin G Female Disease Susceptibility business |
| Popis: | Background Varicella is predominantly a childhood disease, considered a mild self-limiting disease that can have serious complications for a pregnant woman and her developing fetus. Objectives We investigated the susceptibility to varicella-zoster Virus (VZV) among pregnant women in the province of Lecce. Study design A cross-sectional study was carried out in Departments of Gynecology and Obstetrics of the Province of Lecce, where 539 pregnant women were recruited, and face-to-face interviews were conducted. Varicella IgG tests were performed. Results The prevalence of varicella susceptibility among pregnant mothers was 10.6%. The prevalence of IgG antibodies increases significantly with increasing age, from 62.5% in the age group 15–19 years to 94.4% in the age group 40–49 years. Discussion In the Italian National Vaccination Plan 2005–2007, varicella vaccine is only recommended for childbearing women. A safe and effective vaccine is available and no abnormalities have been observed among infants born to susceptible women who received varicella vaccines during pregnancy. Such a high number of susceptible women indicates that preventive and informative programs should be introduced, even among those who do not plan to become pregnant. Routine counselling, varicella IgG antibody screening and varicella vaccination should be considered if they have no history of the infection, to reduce the risk of fetal complications and the cost of healthcare associated with the infection. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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