Antibody test - chickenpox (varicella)

What’s measured

About vaccination against varicella-zoster virus professional

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends universal vaccination as one of the main preventive measures in cases where chickenpox affects the health system and poses a public health burden. Despite this, only thirty-nine countries have universal varicella vaccination programmes (14). The 2018 Canadian Immunization Manual describes the positive impact of universal varicella vaccination as follows:

• The rate of improvement in vaccinated persons after just one dose of varicella vaccine is estimated to be 7.2% over 10 years of follow-up (15).
• A basic two-dose regimen for children aged 1 to 12 years showed a 3.3-fold reduction in cumulative risk of disease compared with children who received only one dose (15).

Instructions before collection

We do not recommend entry of patients/clients with clinical signs of disease (temperature, cough, signs of respiratory tract infection, etc.) to undergo this test.
We recommend hand disinfection prior to entry to the clinics/collection points.

It is advised to fast for a minimum of 8 hours by refraining from eating or drinking anything expect water. Faiing to fast before the test may affect result quality. If you are currently on medications, consult your healtcare provider to determine whether you should continue taking them prior to the test.

PREPARATION FOR BLOOD COLLECTION
The recommended time to collect blood is between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., to obtain comparable results from different blood draws. To assess the numerical test result, so-called reference intervals are used, which are based on morning fasting collections and are used for population comparison. This time interval is also recommended in light of the biological cycles that naturally take place in the body.

GENERAL PRE-SAMPLING INSTRUCTIONS
It is necessary to come to the testing site earlier, so that you can rest in the waiting room for approximately 20 minutes to have a relatively relaxed body and mind.
It is necessary to arrive on an empty stomach for the collection itself, in the case of collections at a later time in the day, at least three hours on an empty stomach. At home, it is desirable to drink a sufficient amount of pure water (at least up to half a liter) - this is important for a successful blood collection. Mineral water, juice, coffee and tea are not recommended.
Herbs included in tea may contain substances affecting the blood count. Coffee and black tea increase gastric acid production and release insulin from the pancreas, thereby affecting glucose metabolism. Since everything in the body is interrelated, they can impact other tests. Another extreme is when your body is running out of fluids. In this case, the number of red blood cells, the level of protein and lipids bound to the protein increase and the level of urea in the blood can also increase. It is therefore advisable to drink pure water when you wake up.

Generally, it is recommended to:
• around 6 p.m. eat only light meals, do not eat fatty food (cheese, butter, cream, meat, smoked meat, bacon) and sweet meals,
• fast for 10-12 hours (Attention: it is not advisable to starve for more than 16 hours!), in the case of later collection (after 9:30 a.m.), a lighter breakfast is allowed, no later than 3 hours before collection,
• drink non-alcoholic beverages and drinks without sugar in the usual quantity, in the case of adult clients 24 hours before blood collection (Alcohol in the blood changes lipid levels, the level of glucose is reduced, uric acid levels increase and liver enzymes are released into the blood),
• take only prescribed medicines in the evening,
• avoid increased physical activity, and strength and endurance exercise the day before blood collection (Lipid, glucose, some enzyme levels in the blood and other parameters may change during physical activity. The recovery of normal values to maintain the accuracy of laboratory results may take a longer time, depending on the duration of the exercise, your physical fitness in general and other factors. We recommend maintaining normal daily physical activity such as light stretching, short cycling to work, gardening, etc.),
• avoid psychological stress, which raises blood glucose levels and causes the release of stress hormones in particular,
• avoid smoking for at least 6 hours prior to blood collection because it increases the level of carbonylhemoglobin produced by the reaction of the blood dye with carbon monoxide and alters the permeability and elasticity of the vessels, affecting the ratios of blood analytes,
• do not chew gum for at least 6 hours before blood collection, as this may affect glucose and enzyme levels,
• do not undergo stressful diagnostic or therapeutic interventions for at least 24 hours prior to blood collection.
If any of the tests you have selected require special preparation, you will be informed of the fact by email with the order and blood collection instructions attached. These specific instructions have priority over the general recommendations for preparation.

MEDICINES
It is recommended to have blood collected before the planned doses of medicines. If it is not possible to take the medicine later, you should inform the nurse during blood collection and specify what medication you have taken.
Take the medicines prescribed by your doctor in the morning or bring them with you to take them after blood collection (thyroid medicines, antihypertensive medicines, blood thinners, contraceptives, etc.) In the case of later collection (after 9:30 a.m.), you can take the prescribed medication in the morning.
Do not take iron, vitamin, nutritional supplements or other supplements, including homeopathics, for at least three (3) days prior to blood collection.

SPECIFIC SITUATIONS
In order to obtain the appropriate answers to your questions with regard to the laboratory tests, it is important to accurately notify the nurse at the healthcare provider about the following facts prior to your blood test:
• regularly used medicines and supplements (ideally come with a written list to the blood collection site),
infectious diseases you suffer from (e.g., HIV, hepatitis, mononucleosis...),
• contact with an infected person or presence in an infectious environment,
• if you have received an infusion within the last 5 days, specify into which limb,
• intramuscular injections within 3 days prior to the blood collection date,
• long-term immobilisation, lost ability to move,
• activities at higher altitudes,
• allergy to common band-aids,
• if you feel unwell when looking at blood or needles, please also notify our blood collection staff of the fact.

OTHER FACTORS
Please note that prolonged use of medication or other important factors may affect the values measured by the tests you have selected. For more information, please see the description of the specific test. To obtain objective test results, take the time to properly prepare for your blood collection.

Results

In case of purchasing the interpretation of the results, this interpretation is created by an internist from uLékaře.cz.

Sources

(1) Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV). (2024). Cleveland Clinic. Dostupné online na: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/varicella-zoster-virus. [cit. 01-09-2025].

(2) Laboratory testing for Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV). (2024). Chickenpox (Varicella). Dostupné online na: https://www.cdc.gov/chickenpox/php/laboratories/index.html. [cit. 01-09-2025].

(3) Varicella / Chickenpox | CDC Yellow Book 2024. (n.d.). CDC.gov. Dostupné online na: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2024/infections-diseases/varicella-chickenpox. [cit. 01-09-2025].

(4) Varicella zoster virus. (2020). Laboratory Case Definition. Dostupné online na: https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022/06/varicella-zoster-virus-laboratory-case-definition.pdf. [cit. 01-09-2025].

(5) Krasinski, K., Holzman, R. S., LaCouture, R., & Florman, A. (1986). Hospital Experience with Varicella-Zoster Virus. Infection Control, 7(6), 312–316. Dostupné online na: https://doi.org/10.1017/s019594170006433x. [cit. 01-09-2025].

(6) Sauerbrei, A., & Wutzler, P. (2006). Serological detection of Varicella-Zoster Virus-Specific immunoglobulin G by an Enzyme-Linked immunosorbent assay using glycoprotein antigen. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 44(9), 3094–3097. Dostupné online na: https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.00719-06. [cit. 01-09-2025].

(7) Morales-Castillo, M. E., Alvarez-Muñoz, M. T., Solórzano-Santos, F., González-Robledo, R., Jasso-Gutiérrez, L., & Muñoz-Hernández, O. (2000). Live varicella vaccine in both immunocompromised and healthy children. Archives of Medical Research, 31(1), 85–87. Dostupné online na: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0188-4409(99)00080-6. [cit. 01-09-2025].

(8) Sauerbrei, A., & Wutzler, P. (2005b). Varicella-Zoster virus infections during pregnancy: Epidemiology, clinical symptoms, diagnosis, prevention and therapy. Current Pediatric Reviews, 1(3), 205–215. Dostupné online na: https://doi.org/10.2174/157339605774574962. [cit. 01-09-2025].

(9) Gallagher, J., Quaid, B., & Cryan, B. (1996). Susceptibility to varicella zoster virus infection in health care workers. Occupational Medicine, 46(4), 289–292. Dostupné online na: https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/46.4.289. [cit. 01-09-2025].

(10) Růžičková Jarešová, L., Dermatovenerologie, Nemocnice Na Homolce, Praha, & L DermaMedEst s. r. o., Praha. (2015). Varicella – zoster virus (VZV). Neurologie Pro Praxi, 16(5), 290–292. Dostupné online na: https://www.neurologiepropraxi.cz/pdfs/neu/2015/05/11.pdf. [cit. 01-09-2025].

(11) Ovčie kiahne (Varicella) - Portál úradov - Liferay. (n.d.). Portál Úradov. Dostupné online na: https://www.uvzsr.sk/web/uvz/ovcie-kiahne-varicella-a-z?p_l_back_url=%2Fweb%2Fuvz%2Fvyhladavanie%3Fq%3Dvaricella. [cit. 01-09-2025].

(12) Roháčová, H., Ph. D. & Infekční klinika FN Na Bulovce, Praha. (2005). ILLNESSES CAUSED BY VARICELLA ZOSTER VIRUS. PEDIATRIE PRO PRAXI, 6, 284–286. Dostupné online na: https://www.solen.cz/pdfs/ped/2005/06/02.pdf. [cit. 01-09-2025].

(13) Macounová, P., Staňková, A., Maďar, R., PhD. ,. MBA, FRCPS, & Ústav epidemiologie a ochrany veřejného zdraví, Lékařská fakulta, Ostravská univerzita, Ostrava. (2022). Plané neštovice – očkovat, či neočkovat? In PEDIATRIE PRO PRAXI (Vol. 23, Issue 3, pp. 188–191). Dostupné online na: https://www.pediatriepropraxi.cz/pdfs/ped/2022/03/05.pdf. [cit. 01-09-2025].

(14) Vakcinace.eu - Doporučení České vakcinologické společnosti ČLS JEP pro očkování proti planým neštovicím (varicele). (n.d.). Dostupné online na: https://www.vakcinace.eu/doporuceni-a-stanoviska/doporuceni-ceske-vakcinologicke-spolecnosti-cls-jep-pro-ockovani-proti-planym-nestovicim-varicele. [cit. 01-09-2025].

(15) Varicella (chickenpox) vaccines: Canadian Immunization Guide. (2018). Dostupné online na: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/canadian-immunization-guide-part-4-active-vaccines/page-24-varicella-chickenpox-vaccine.html#p4c23a4. [cit. 01-09-2025].