Three-year surveillance of chikenpox among the militry community in Taif-KSA: primary reporting of an epidemic situation

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. A descriptive study was done to evaluate epidemiological data related to chickenpox over the period of three years starting May l 2005 till April 30th 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. 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. 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