J Forrest1, S Mego, M Burgess. 1. National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (NCIRS), Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia. jillf@nch.edu.au
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To establish the incidence and severity of congenital and neonatal varicella in Australia. METHODOLOGY: Demographic and clinical details were obtained by postal questionnaire regarding cases notified to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit by over 930 participating clinicians in 1995-97 inclusive. RESULTS: Seven cases of congenital varicella (1: 107 000 pregnancies/year) followed maternal infection at 8-26 weeks: five had defects, two did not. Four of the seven infants with congenital varicella developed herpes zoster in the first 15 months of life. Forty-four infants had neonatal varicella (1: 17 000 pregnancies/year). CONCLUSION: : There is an ongoing, albeit low, incidence of congenital and neonatal varicella in Australia.
OBJECTIVE: To establish the incidence and severity of congenital and neonatal varicella in Australia. METHODOLOGY: Demographic and clinical details were obtained by postal questionnaire regarding cases notified to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit by over 930 participating clinicians in 1995-97 inclusive. RESULTS: Seven cases of congenital varicella (1: 107 000 pregnancies/year) followed maternal infection at 8-26 weeks: five had defects, two did not. Four of the seven infants with congenital varicella developed herpes zoster in the first 15 months of life. Forty-four infants had neonatal varicella (1: 17 000 pregnancies/year). CONCLUSION: : There is an ongoing, albeit low, incidence of congenital and neonatal varicella in Australia.
Authors: D Grenier; E J Elliott; Y Zurynski; R Rodrigues Pereira; M Preece; R Lynn; R von Kries; H Zimmermann; N P Dickson; D Virella Journal: Arch Dis Child Date: 2006-12-11 Impact factor: 3.791