Open AccessStudy of susceptibility towards varicella by screening for the presence of IgG antibodies among nursing and medical students of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Pune, India
Author(s) -
Samir A Singru,
Vijay W Tilak,
Nageswari Gandham,
Jitendra Bhawalkar,
Sudhir Jadhav,
Harshal T Pandve
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of global infectious diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 0974-8245
pISSN - 0974-777X
DOI - 10.4103/0974-777x.77294
Subject(s) - chickenpox , medicine , outbreak , confidence interval , antibody , immunology , pediatrics , virus , virology
It is believed that all suffer from chickenpox infection in their childhood. Many studies abroad and some in India clearly indicate that many individuals escape the infection in childhood, and thus, remain susceptible in adulthood. Adulthood chickenpox is a more serious infection than childhood. Prior screening of health care workers for the presence of IgG antibodies against Varicella will not only prevent hospital outbreaks but also economic and academic loss faced by the students. This will also have an important implication in terms of patient care as there is a threat of spreading Varicella to immuno-compromised patients. Definite history of prior infection of chickenpox is considered as an indicator for immunity towards the same. However, the reliability of this needs to be tested.