Asymptomatic Transmission & Shedding

Transmission of Varicella Vaccine Virus from Child to Pregnant Mother

Captured 2023-03-10
Document Highlights

A 12-month-old healthy boy had approximately 30 vesicular skin lesions 24 days after receiving varicella vaccine.

Sixteen days later his pregnant mother had 100 lesions.

Varicella-vaccine virus was identified by polymerase chain reaction in the vesicular lesions of the mother. After an elective abortion, no virus was detected in the fetal tissue.

This case documents transmission of varicella-vaccine virus from a healthy 12-month-old infant to his pregnant mother.