Three-Year Surveillance of Chickenpox among the Military Community in Taif – KSA: Primary Reporting of an Epidemic Situation

Omar, Sherif R.; Al-Hussaini, Tawfiq

doi:10.21608/jhiph.2007.22520

Three-Year Surveillance of Chickenpox among the Military Community in Taif – KSA: Primary Reporting of an Epidemic Situation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Sherif R. Omar ¹
Tawfiq Al-Hussaini ²

¹ Epidemiology Unit, Department of Preventive Medicine, Al-Hada Armed Forces Hospital, Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

² Vaccination Unit, Department of Preventive Medicine, Al-Hada Armed Forces Hospital, Taif, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

10.21608/jhiph.2007.22520

Abstract

Objectives: To study the current epidemiology of varicella (chickenpox), and to document the presence of a recent epidemic situation occurring among members of the military troops and their families in Taif area; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A descriptive study was done to evaluate epidemiological data related to chickenpox over the period of three years starting May 1^st 2005 till April 30^th 2008. Data were recorded regularly complying with the infectious diseases surveillance protocol set by the Saudi Ministry of Health that considers varicella as one of the notifiable diseases. Results: 205 cases were recorded in the first year, 257 during the second year, and more than 5 fold increase up to 1395 cases during the third year; males constituted 54.7% of the total number of cases, all age groups were affected mainly between 5-14 years (46.9%) and between 15-44 years (32.9%), cases over the age of 15 comprised 35.16% of the total number. Conclusions: Reported cases of chickenpox increased dramatically in numbers during the third year of the surveillance indicating an epidemic situation. The disease seams to cease being a childhood exclusive disease; as more than one-third of the reported cases were above the age of 15. The newly introduced childhood compulsory live-attenuated vaccine started nationally in January 2008 is a new hope to reduce burden of the disease within the Saudi community.

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