Varicella infection in an immunized pediatric living donor liver-transplant recipient

Vibha Mehta, Krithiga Ramachandran, Reshu Agarwal, Seema Alam, Viniyendra Pamecha, Ekta GuptaJournal of Global Infectious Diseases 2021 13(3):142-144 Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a DNA virus belonging to the Herpesviridae family. Primary infection causes chickenpox followed by latency in the sensory ganglia, which can sometimes reactivate leading to herpes zoster. Chicken pox is generally a mild disease of childhood with a secondary attack rate of >85%, but disseminated VZV infection with visceral involvement and fatal outcome may occur in immunocompromised individuals. Indian Academy of Pediatrics recommends two doses of live-attenuated varicella vaccine in healthy unexposed children at 15–18 months and then at 4–6 years of age. The effectiveness of a single dose of vaccine is around 85% and with a two-dose schedule is as high as 92%. Despite the vaccine-induced protection, community-acquired VZV infections still remain a problem in immunocompromised population. We hereby report a case of a previously immunized pediatric liver-transplant recipient who acquired VZV infection. This case report clearly highlights the importance of strict environmental infection control practices, early suspicion, diagnosis, and management in such cases.
Source: Journal of Global Infectious Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Source Type: research