Household size is critical to varicella-zoster virus transmission in the tropics despite lower viral infectivity.

ABSTRACT: The epidemiology and severity of infections can vary dramatically in different geographical regions. Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a particularly tractable model for investigating such global differences, since infections can be unambiguously identified. VZV is spread by aerosol to cause chickenpox, which, in temperate countries, is a relatively benign childhood infection; yet in tropical countries it tends to occur at later age, a trend associated with markedly increased severity including complications, hospitalization, and overall burden of care. To investigate global differences in the epidemiology of chickenpox we studied a population in Guinea Bissau, which in contrast to other tropical countries has an unexpectedly early age of infection with VZV, comparable to temperate latitudes

SUBMITTER: Nichols RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3072572 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature