Maternal varicella during pregnancy may cause fetal wastage and birth defects such as cutaneous scars, atrophied limbs, microcephaly and low birth weight. Intrauterine infection occurring near term may cause typical varicella in the newborn with varying degrees of severity depending upon the transfer of maternal-specific lG antibody. The virus potential for oncogenicity. During the smallpox post-eradication era, the diagnosis of chickenpox is of great importance because of its resemblance to mild smallpox. Laboratory diagnosis is rarely required as clinical signs are usually clear-cut.
Serology is used mainly for epidemiological surveys.
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