Exposure to varicella zoster virus is higher in children with autism spectrum disorder than in healthy controls. results from a case-control study

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of central nervous system disorders lacking a definite etiology. The aim of the present study was to compare the exposure rate and titer of antibodies to Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV) in children with ASD and in healthy controls.We enrolled 54 children with ASD and 46 control individuals.The exposure rate and titer of anti-VZV antibodies were significantly higher in children with ASD compared to controls (59\% vs. 39\% and 694 mIU/ml vs. 94 mIU/ml, respectively).In the present case-control study, exposure to VZV was found to be independently associated with ASD.