Ac.anti- Varicela Herpes Zoster IgG

This test looks for antibodies in your blood that your body makes against the varicella-zoster virus. The varicella-zoster virus is very contagious. It can cause two health problems: chickenpox and shingles. When you become infected with the virus for the first time, it causes chickenpox. After having chickenpox, most people become immune to the virus for the rest of their life. They can’t get chickenpox again. But after the first illness, the virus becomes dormant and “hides” in nerves in your body. Later in your life, the virus can become active again. It causes a painful rash called shingles, or herpes zoster.

You may need this test if your healthcare provider needs to find out whether you are likely to get a varicella infection. This information can help healthcare workers who may work with patients who have the virus. This test can also help your provider find out whether you have chickenpox if the diagnosis isn’t clear. Symptoms of chickenpox include fever, headache, sore throat and distinctive rash around the body a day or two after other symptoms begin. The rash lasts for about two weeks. It can spread until all the spots on the skin have crusted over.

When someone is exposed to VZV, the person’s immune system responds by producing antibodies to the virus. IgG antibodies are produced by the body several weeks after the initial VZV infection and provide long-term protection. Levels of IgG rise during the active infection, then stabilize as the VZV infection resolves and the virus becomes inactive.

Once a person has been exposed to VZV, that person will have some measurable amount of VZV IgG antibody in their blood for the rest of their life. VZV IgG antibody testing can be used, along with IgM testing, to help confirm the presence of a recent or previous VZV infection.

The varicella-zoster virus antibody testing requires a blood sample drawn from a vein in the arm and no test preparation is needed.