The Journal of Medical Microbiology, Vol 16, Issue 3 303-308, Copyright © 1983 by Society for General Microbiology
Virological course of herpes zoster in otherwise normal hosts
R. Cevenini, M. Donati, F. Rumpianesi, A. Moroni, A. Tosti, A. Patrizi, C. Varotti and M. Negosanti
The virological course of herpes zoster infection in 42 otherwise normal
hosts was studied by virus isolation and antibody titration.
Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) was isolated from vesicle fluid from all three
patients examined on the first day of the vesicular eruption and from five
out of six examined on the second day. The isolation rate fell to one out
of six patients on the seventh day of illness and VZV was not isolated from
patients at a later stage of the illness. IgG antibodies were detected by
IFAMA and ELISA, in sera from all the patients by the end of the first week
of illness; IgG antibody titres were highest during the second and the
third weeks. IgM antibodies to VZV were detected in sera from six of the 42
patients with herpes zoster after fractionation by ion-exchange
chromatography.
