Seroprevalence of Varicella zoster virus antibody among young women before marriage in Sanandaj, Iran

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) infection in pregnant women can cause complications for the mother and fetus. The aim of this study was to assess the immunity against VZV among young women before marriage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study 250 women attending health centers in Sanandaj, Iran, for pre-marital medical check-up were randomly selected. The VZV IgG measured by ELISA and demographic characteristics of participants including their age, place of residence, number of siblings, occupation, education and history of chickenpox were also recorded. Data were analyzed using R statistical software. Association between VZV infection and participants’ characteristics was assessed using Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: Out of 250 participants, 178 individuals (71.2%) diagnosed as antibody positive and 72 (28.8%) negative. Our findings revealed that the immunity against VZV increased with individuals’ age (P<0.0001) and their number of siblings (P= 0.03). Significant association was found between history of chickenpox and immunity (P <0.001). Positive and negative predictive values of self-reported history of chickenpox obtained by 94.60% and 49.25%, respectively. CONCLUSION: A notable percentage of women were found to be susceptible to VZV, hence they are at risk of getting infected during pregnancy which in turn may result in fetus abnormalities. Screening the immunity and further studies on the need of vaccination before marriage are recommended.