Purpose: To determine the population-based seroprevalence of varicella zoster virus (VZV) and related risk factors in Izmir.
Materials and methods: A population-based household survey was conducted. A representative sample of the population older than 15 years of age was selected using multistage random sampling. A total of 2136 healthy persons participated in this cross-sectional study. The participants completed a questionnaire designed to collect data related to socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors. Blood samples were collected, and VZV-specific IgG was measured using an ELISA.
Results: In total, 94.3% of individuals were seropositive for VZV. The difference between VZV seroprevalence in urban and rural populations was significant (OR: 2.6 (95% CI, 1.7-3.8)). No statistically significant differences in seropositivity were observed with respect to other sociodemographic characteristics.
Conclusion: A large proportion of the participants were found to be immune to VZV.
Copyright © 2012 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.