Seroprevalence of Varricella Zoster Antibodies among Pregnant Women in Babol, Northern Iran

Background and Objectives: Chicken pox has potential complications during pregnancy for both the mother and her baby. The aim of this study was to determine the Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV) immune status in pregnant women in Babol and its surrounding neighborhoods. Materials and Methods: This seroepidemiological study was carried out on 427 pregnant women referred to Rohani Hospital, Babol, northern Iran from 2010 to 2011. The immune status (IgG level) was determined using ELISA method and correlation with age, place of residence, history of VZV infection and the number of siblings were evaluated. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 27.16 + 5.7 years and their mean antibody level was 103.552 + 63.37 U/ml. Out of 427 pregnant women studied, 8.7% were seronegative, 1.2% were equivocal and 90.2% were seropositive. There was no correlation between age, the place of residence (urban or rural) and titer of antibody. However, higher antibody titer was found in women with more siblings. Conclusion: Considering 90.2% of pregnant women were VZV seropositive, evaluation of VZV antibody in order to prevent complications in non-immune pregnant women and vaccination for women with age less than 25 years old and no VZV infection history, prior to pregnancy is recommended.