Varicella zoster antibodies (VZV IgG): what the result says about chickenpox and shingles
Varicella zoster antibodies are defence proteins the body makes after an infection with the varicella zoster virus (VZV), the virus that causes chickenpox and also shingles. According to the LCI guideline of the RIVM, the Dutch public health institute, immunity develops after the first infection. According to the same guideline, the virus itself stays latent after the infection, that is without symptoms, in the sensory ganglia, nerve clusters next to the spinal cord.
According to Thuisarts, the Dutch GPs' public health site, someone without antibodies can still get chickenpox, and anyone older than 11 can become very ill from it. According to the LCI guideline, in older people and in people with weakened immunity the virus can become active again as shingles. Only a blood test shows whether the antibodies are present: according to the LCI guideline, research has shown that 43 to 75 percent of adults with no known chickenpox still have antibodies.
Diagnostiek voor U calls a VZV IgG below 150 mIU/mL negative. According to the LCI guideline, the cut-off for immunity against VZV is 100 IU/l or 150 IU/l, depending on the test and the standard serum used.
Turnaround 48 hours, estimate Turnaround: up to 48 hours after your blood draw (estimate).
Varicella zoster IgG are antibodies against the varicella zoster virus, the virus of chickenpox and shingles, and according to the LCI guideline their presence shows a past infection. According to Thuisarts, anyone with antibodies can no longer get chickenpox.
- Diagnostiek voor U calls a VZV IgG below 150 mIU/mL negative; the LCI guideline gives a cut-off for immunity of 100 IU/l or 150 IU/l, depending on the test and the standard serum.
- According to the LCI guideline, a negative history of chickenpox in adults still shows VZV antibodies in 43 to 75 percent of cases.
- According to the LCI guideline, checking the VZV serostatus in the first trimester is strongly recommended for pregnant women with a negative or unclear history.
Varicella Zoster: what Dutch laboratories use
There is no nationally agreed reference value; this is what individual laboratories publish.
| Laboratory | Group | Reference value (mIU/mL) | Relative scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnostiek voor U | · Everyone · a limit, not a range · negative | < 150 mIU/mL |
150
|
Source: Diagnostiek voor U
Each value as the laboratory itself publishes it, retrieved in 2026.
Varicella Zoster: what this test measures
The varicella zoster test measures IgG antibodies against the varicella zoster virus in serum, the fluid left after blood has clotted; IgG stands for immunoglobulin G. According to the LCI guideline, the presence of virus-specific IgG antibodies in serum shows a past infection. Diagnostiek voor U gives the result in mIU/mL and measures on a Liaison analyser. Unilabs lists no reference value for this test and has it carried out by regional medical microbiology laboratories.
Varicella Zoster: why this value matters
Varicella zoster antibodies show whether someone has had chickenpox, and that counts because, according to the LCI guideline, people aged 12 and over have a greater chance of complications than people younger than 12. According to the LCI guideline, pregnant women with a first VZV infection have a strongly increased risk of complications, and complications can then also occur in the unborn child. A negative history is not a reliable measure here: according to the LCI guideline it still shows antibodies in adults in 43 to 75 percent of cases, while according to the same guideline a positive history is almost 100 percent reliable.
Varicella Zoster: how the blood test works
- Referral
- No GP referral needed. After the order we arrange the referral through ZorgDomein, within one business day; orders after 17:00 or at the weekend start on the next business day. ZorgDomein emails a barcode, and that barcode is what the draw site needs.
- The draw
- A blood draw from a vein in the arm, at a partner laboratory's draw site. No home kit, no finger prick.
- Results
- Turnaround: up to 48 hours after your blood draw (estimate).
- Where
- 650+ draw sites run by independent laboratories across the Netherlands. Draw sites
Varicella Zoster: when is testing worthwhile?
According to Thuisarts, anyone who does not know whether they have had chickenpox can have a varicella zoster test to show whether they have had the disease. According to the LCI guideline, checking the VZV serostatus, the presence or absence of antibodies, in the first trimester is strongly recommended for pregnant women with a negative or unclear history. According to the LCI guideline, healthcare workers in risk departments should be screened for VZV antibodies at hiring if their history is negative or doubtful, or if they grew up outside Western Europe.
Varicella Zoster: symptoms of a high or low value
Low Levels
A negative varicella zoster result means that the measured IgG lies below the cut-off for immunity, which according to the LCI guideline is 100 IU/l or 150 IU/l depending on the test. According to Thuisarts, anyone without antibodies can still get chickenpox. According to Thuisarts, chickenpox gives itchy spots, blisters and scabs all over the body. According to Thuisarts, anyone older than 11 or with very little immunity can become very ill from chickenpox.
High Levels
According to the LCI guideline, detected varicella zoster IgG means a past infection, and according to Thuisarts anyone with antibodies can no longer get chickenpox. The virus does stay in the body, and according to the LCI guideline it can become active again as shingles in older people and people with weakened immunity. According to Thuisarts, shingles gives itching, pain, spots and blisters, usually on one side of the body, and the chance of it is greatest over the age of 60.
Varicella Zoster: causes of a low or high value
What lowers the value
-
Never had chickenpox
A blood test for antibodies shows whether someone has had chickenpox; anyone without antibodies can still get chickenpox.
-
Grew up in the (sub)tropics
In areas with a temperate climate more than 95 percent of 12-year-olds have had chickenpox, while in the (sub)tropics the share with antibodies at age 12 is lower.
What raises the value
-
Past chickenpox
Immunity develops after the first VZV infection, and virus-specific IgG antibodies in serum show a past infection.
-
A child in the household who had chickenpox
According to the LCI guideline, chickenpox in children within the household, with real exposure in that period, also predicts that the parents have antibodies (Linder 2001).
Varicella Zoster: lifestyle and this value
Discuss a negative varicella zoster result with your GP. According to Thuisarts, a pregnant woman who has never had chickenpox and has been near someone with chickenpox or shingles calls her midwife or GP straight away. According to the LCI guideline, chickenpox vaccination is not part of the Dutch national vaccination programme.
Varicella Zoster: frequently asked questions
Can you get chickenpox twice?
According to Thuisarts, anyone who has had chickenpox, an infection with the varicella zoster virus, cannot get it again. According to the LCI guideline, infants who have chickenpox in their first 6 months of life, while relatively protected by their mother's antibodies, cannot build good immunity of their own, and they can be infected again later in life and get chickenpox again or shingles.
How is active chickenpox or shingles diagnosed?
According to the LCI guideline, chickenpox and shingles, the two diseases of the varicella zoster virus, are in most cases a clinical or visual diagnosis, and when in doubt a PCR test on fluid from a blister is the first choice. According to the LCI guideline, antibody testing has a limited role in a suspected acute infection or reactivation, because of the limited sensitivity and specificity of an IgM test.
How many people in the Netherlands have antibodies against chickenpox?
About 95 percent of Dutch people aged 0 to 79 had antibodies against the varicella zoster virus in research in the general Dutch population, the LCI guideline reports (94.6% in the Pienter 2 study of 2006-2007).
Varicella Zoster: sources
- Diagnostiek voor U, eLabgids (Referentiewaarden DvU), diagnostiek.getincontrol.eu, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) diagnostiek.getincontrol.eu
- NHG, Thuisarts: Ik ben in de buurt geweest van iemand met waterpokken of gordelroos, thuisarts.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-16 (retrieved 2026) thuisarts.nl
- RIVM, LCI-richtlijn Waterpokken, lci.rivm.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-16 (retrieved 2026) lci.rivm.nl
Results without a doctor's assessment
You receive your values with the unit and reference range. A doctor's assessment is not part of this site. Discuss your results with your GP for explanation and treatment decisions.
Varicella Zoster
€49,-