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Seroprevalence of varicella-zoster virus in five US-bound refugee populations
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Feb 2015
Source: J Immigr Minor Health. 17(1):310-313. -
Alternative Title:J Immigr Minor Health
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Description:Background
Little is known about varicella-zoster virus (VZV) susceptibility in US-bound refugee populations, although published data suggest that VZV seroprevalence in these refugee populations may be lower than US populations. We describe VZV seroprevalence in 5 U.S.-bound refugee groups: (1) Bhutanese in Nepal, (2) Burmese on the Thailand-Burma (Myanmar) border, (3) Burmese in Malaysia, (4) Iraqi in Jordan, and (5) Somali in Kenya.
Methods
Sera were tested for presence of VZV IgG antibodies among adults aged 18–45 years.
Results
Overall VZV seroprevalence was 97% across all refugee groups. VZV seroprevalence was also high across all age groups, with seroprevalence ranging from 92–100% for 18–26 year-olds depending on refugee group and 93–100% for 27–45 year-olds.
Discussion
VZV seroprevalence was unexpectedly high in these 5 US-bound refugee groups, though may not reflect seroprevalence in other refugee groups. Additional studies are needed to better understand VZV seroprevalence in refugee populations over time and by region.
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Pubmed ID:24271111
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Pubmed Central ID:PMC4606866
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