Varicella-Zoster Virus Prevalence among Pregnant Women: A European Epidemiological Review

Abstract

Europe has faced a massive spread of the varicella-zoster virus through the years. Since the introduction of an effective vaccine, complications and severe forms of chickenpox have been restricted. Nevertheless, among the population, some categories need specific care, such as pregnant women, who present one of the most fragile conditions facing this infection, both for the mother and the fetus. In this review, we highlight how the varicella-zoster virus can be dangerous during pregnancy, underlining the problem of treatment and vaccination, and collect information about the European epidemiology among this particular category of women.

Keywords: VZV; pregnancy; seroprevalence; treatment; vaccination.

Figure 1

Management of VZV infection in pregnant seronegative women: risk, treatment and newborn sequelae related to the different pregnancy trimesters. * Before pregnancy: anti-VZV preconception screening is highly recommended in order to evaluate maternal serological status.

Figure 2

Seroprevalence in Europe with a specific focus on pregnant women. According to general seroprevalence, Europe could be divided into three clusters, shown in red, orange, and yellow, while pregnant women with seropositivity are displayed with percentage data. Data source: Belgium [46], Croatia [47], Finland [48], France [3], Germany [49], Italy [50], Netherlands [51], Norway [52], Poland [49], Spain [3], and the UK [53].