Is laboratory confirmation of varicella cases necessary?
Laboratory diagnosis of varicella is not routinely required but can be useful if confirmation of the diagnosis or determination of susceptibility is necessary. Widespread varicella vaccination has resulted in a dramatic decrease in varicella incidence. As vaccination rates continue to increase, more of the varicella cases will be occurring among vaccinated persons who may have atypical disease. This modified clinical presentation of disease makes varicella diagnosis by physicians difficult and may increase the need for laboratory confirmation.
