Abstract
Hospitalizations for varicella-zoster virus infection (n = 13,018) among active-duty Navy and Marine Corps personnel were studied retrospectively for the years 1981-1994. A large increase in hospitalization rates occurred during the 1980s, peaking in 1987 with 2025 total hospitalizations and a crude rate of 258/100,000 persons. Since that time, hospitalization rates have decreased markedly, with only 473 hospitalizations in 1994 (rate, 74/100,000 persons). In unconditional logistic regression risk factor modeling for varicella hospitalization, personnel at highest risk of hospitalization had foreign homes of record, were most junior in rank, had ≤2 years of military service, were Filipino or black, were male, and served in the Navy. Adjusted risk of hospitalization fell >2-fold from 1987-1988 to 1993-1994. These finding may assist military public health officials in developing strategies to prevent varicella morbidity.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 835-838 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Journal of Infectious Diseases |
Volume | 174 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1996 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Infectious Diseases